Crystal Rainbow
by Keyblade13
Summary: What if there was another rebellious group like the Crystal Gems, only they're motives are beyond different? What if there was another hybrid that exists? What actions will transpire because of them? Well... You'll have to find out for yourselves. [AU]
1. The Fight

**Hello** **everyone. I hope you all have been well.**

 **I've returned. I apologize for being gone for a long period of time, I've been doing a lot of thinking and re-imagining to create something new and enjoyable.**

 **Note: I do not own anything related to Steven Universe. It belongs to it's rightful owner and creator that I completely respect. As well this is a AU story, so there will be a few changes along the line.**

 **Please Enjoy.**

Chapter 1: The Fight

"Kameron... Kameron... It's time to wake up sleepy head."

I mumbled and groaned a little before slowly opening my eyes and seeing a familiar sight looking down at me with a smile. "S-sis?"

"The one and only." She replied before lowering her face to mine. "Wanna have a little 'play time' with me?"

I felt my cheeks burning after she said that to me. However, she then softly kissed my left cheek before getting off of me and my bed. She stretched out her arms before turning her head back to me, "Hopefully that'll be enough to wake you. Now hurry up and get dressed." She added before walking out of my room and closing the door behind her.

Once the burning in my cheeks were fading I took in a deep breath before exhaling and getting up.

"I can't believe this girl is my sister."

* * *

After a few minutes of making my bed, getting dressed, and brushing my teeth I started heading downstairs. Once I reached the final step and started walking toward the kitchen I suddenly stopped once another familiar voice came out.

"KAMERON!"

I was then tackled down to the floor. I grunted a little before up and catching another familiar sight.

"Good morning."

"Lil sis. You know I love you, but I think I'll get a concussion if you keep tackling me like this."

She then puffed her cheeks out at me before getting up and helping me up from the ground. I thanked her but she turned her face from me while crossing her arms and still having her cheeks puffed.

I smirked from the sight of this before placing a hand on her head and slowly rubbing it. Doing this she turned to look at me before smiling softly. Whenever she smiled it made me smile and her cuteness was definitely never wavered whenever she grinned.

I then stopped rubbing her head and started heading for the kitchen while she followed. Once there I noticed my dad, three brothers and my three other sisters sitting at the table. When I took my seat they all turned their attention to me almost instantly.

"Hi Kameron." My brother on the left greeted.

"Hey guys. How are your mornings?"

"Same as usual. We tend to ourselves, check up on the satellite radar for any abnormalities, and relax at home." My brother on the far left addressed.

Before I could reply my mom came up and served me some stacked pancakes while placing a kiss on my forehead. "How are you honey?"

"I'm feeling okay. How are you mom?" I asked.

"I'm fine. But I can't stay for long. Have a good day and be careful going to school, okay?"

I nodded before she kissed my cheek and started heading toward the door before opening it and closing it behind her.

After she was gone I started eating my breakfast. When I took the first bite I was instantly hooked in seconds, my mother's famous pancakes always took my breath away.

"Tell us Kameron. Is there anything going on at your school?" My dad asked.

I stopped eating before looking up to see him and swallowing my pancake piece. "Nothing in particular. Why?"

"Just asking is all. Once your done I can take you to school if you want?"

"Dad, it's only like a mile away. I'll get there faster on my bike. But thanks though."

He nodded to my answer before continuing to read his book.

Once the last pancake entered my stomach I got up and went toward the sink before washing it. As soon as that was taken care of I went over to the shoe rack and took out my sneakers before putting them on.

"Have a blessed day Kameron." My other sister called out.

"Thanks. See you guys after school." I replied after tying my shoes before grabbing my bookbag and heading out.

* * *

I grabbed my bike and helmet before getting on and starting pedaling myself out of my driveway and toward the road.

As I kept pedaling I couldn't help but smile from feeling the wind blowing through my face. The feeling was always amazing and welcoming, and was one of the best things to get living in Delmarva, aside from also living near a beach.

I've lived here for pretty much my entire life and something inside me tells me that today might be the day everything changes for me. I don't know why, just a gut feeling.

Up ahead came my school: Beach City High School. The architect was pretty big and wide; it was almost like an academy by the look of it. Good news for me was that it didn't have a dress code. I didn't mind wearing uniforms with blazers and looking smooth, but being yourself and wearing almost anything you want was the better choice in my opinion, and whoever chose that suggestion had the right angle to show for.

* * *

When I arrived I placed my bike onto the rack and locked it with a chain. Delmarva is a pretty nice place to live in, but you can never be too careful on who a person really is. Taking off my helmet I looked at the entrance of the school. " _Well... Here we go."_

Walking up to the doors I placed my hand on the handle before closing my eyes and sighing. I then reopened them and opened the doors before walking forward.

As I walked I started observing my piers. On the left were a trio of guys with their backs against the lockers and what looked like something in their mouth judging by their left cheeks inflated, plus the guy in the middle had on a pretty cool beanie. They all looked at me and showed me the peace sign which I returned while moving on.

Next were five girls who looked pretty and cute from their fashion selections. It looked like they were texting and saying the word 'like' in every sentence. When one of them noticed me they blew a kiss before waving their hand with a smile. I grinned slightly while returning it before quickly moving on with a soft chuckle.

Lastly were a group of kids wearing buttoned shirts, khakis, and square glasses. They were looking at what appeared to be comic books and snickering, possibly due to really getting into it or have gotten to an interesting section. When I walked by they didn't notice me, but I didn't mind as interrupting their reading would lead to a long conversation that I really didn't want to get into.

Finally up ahead I found my locker. When I got up to it I unlocked before opening it and placing my helmet inside. I then noticed the mirror I placed at the dead center on the wall and straighten up my hair a bit. I don't really care about my appearance that much, but a certain friend of said it didn't hear to look decent and nice. To be fair, she was right about that.

I then turned to the left and noticed my graffiti board. "Hello old friend. Let's see what today's gonna be about."

I pulled out one of my colored markers from the bottom of the door before erasing my previous drawing and hovered the marker near it. _Hmm... well...I'm not so sure what I'm feeling today. If I was Steven he'd probably draw a star or lion. Maybe...this."_

I then started drawing and stopped once I was finished before placing the marker back where it was. "Yep. Life is just one giant enigma."

Finishing up I closed my locker door before locking it back up and heading out for first period.

"C'mon baby, you know you're the only girl for me." A male voice said.

Hearing it up the corner I quickly walked up there before placing my back against the wall and peeking my head out to see what's going on. From what I could see there were three tall guys wearing blue leather jackets with ferocious lion head symbols at the center crowding around.

"We're done, Zac. I want to do with you anymore. Go back to that red head you've been cheating on me with for the past two weeks." A female voice said.

I hear a girl's voice but couldn't see her due to the guys blocking my view. Judging by that sentence, I think I I know what's going on.

"Listen to me. I dumped her and I want you back. I won't take 'no' for an answer." The blonde guy in the middle said before he approached the girl and grabbed her.

As I was watching this I quickly ducked my head back before closing my eyes. " _This is none of your business. This is none of your business. Just walk away."_

When I reopened my eyes I was about to turn and leave the scene. However there was a problem. My feet wouldn't move an inch. I then balled my fists and sighed, "I really hate you conscience."

"Hey! Leave her alone!" I called out as I came out of the corner.

The guys all turned their attention to me and I was able to look at the girl. She had black hair with a bang that covered her entire left eye, wore a Gothic/Punk styled outfit, and her right eye was light blue.

"Mine your own business Forest Head." The blonde asked.

"Then just leave her alone." I replied firmly.

The blonde released the girl from his grip before over to me. Once he got close he looked down upon me and I was now regretting the decision I just made.

"What's your deal Forest Head? Do you have any idea who you're messing with?"

"No. And I really don't care. People like you shouldn't be messing with others like that. How would you feel if you got picked on."

The two other guys whistled from my response while the blonde right in front of me glared before grabbing my shirt and pulling me off the ground.

"Wrong answer twerp. Zac Armstrong doesn't get picked on."

He then raised his fist and me and was about to land it right on me until it suddenly stopped due a nearby voice.

"Zachery Armstrong!"

We all looked out to see where it came from and noticed another girl. She was a brunette, had light brown eyes, wore a school uniform for some reason with white legging socks and dress shoes. She also had a firm expression with both hands on her waist.

"Put him down right now."

Zac looked back at me before pushing me towards the wall behind me, letting me go.

I grunted from impact before sliding down and sitting down on the floor.

"This isn't over twerp." He said before him and the other guys walked away from the area.

I then slowly got up and dusted off my clothes before turning my attention to the girls.

"Are you alright? He didn't hurt you did he?" The brunette asked.

"Yeah... I'm fine." I replied before looking at the other girl. "Are you okay?"

"Do I look like a damsel in distress to you?" She replied with annoyance in her voice.

I was a little taken back by her response before looking away.

"Next time stay out of other people's business." She said before walking away.

"Chloe." The brunette called out, making the other girl freeze in place. "He was only trying to help. There's nothing wrong with that. Also, what was going on here?"

The other girl remained quiet. At that moment I wanted to step up and say my two cents, but...as I opened my mouth...the words just wouldn't form.

"It's none of your business, sis. And you should know by now that that's not my name anymore." The girl said with her back turned before she continued to walk off.

The brunette sighed, "When will she learn to let it go and move on with herself?" She then turned her attention to me. "Hey, aren't you that guy who won the art competition last year?"

I widened my eyes from hearing that before turning to look at her. Wow, I haven't thought about that in a while. "Uh...yeah. I'm Kameron." I added while offering my head to her.

"Angela Parks. President of Student Council." She replied with a smile while taking my hand into hers. "And the damsel you rescued was my sister Chloe."

My eyes widened from that before our hands separated. "That was your sister?"

"Yeah. She goes by another name but I think it'll be best if she tells you instead of me." Angela replied. "Also, what happened to your hands?"

As soon as she asked that I immediately froze in place before looking at my hands covered in bandages. As I stared at them the memories started coming back. Memories...she could never understand.

I then gripped my hands while slowly placing them down and looking back at Angela who gained a worried and concerned expression. "I...I don't wanna talk about."

"Oh... well, be careful around Zac and his guys. He's someone you really don't want to mess with. Besides that I should go. Class starts in a few minutes and you should be heading off too."

I did just that. Turned around and started walking away without replying back.

As I walked I looked at my right arm, just the sight of it made me angry, but the one thing that mattered was to keep both hidden. _Nobody in this school can ever find out... Nobody..._

* * *

Later on lunch time approached and they were serving up one of my favorite foods: Chili Cheese Fries.

After getting my lunch I began walking through the cafeteria and searched for a table to sit until an empty slot appeared. Once I took my seat I began to dig in to the ever delicious taste of potatoes mixed with meat and dairy.

"Yo. Kameron." A voice called out.

I looked up and saw two familiar faces: Lars Barriga and Sadie Miller.

"Hey guys. What's up?" I asked.

"Mind if we sit with you?" Sadie replied.

I nodded as they took their seats in front of me. "So...did you hear about the rumors?" Lars asked.

I cocked an eyebrow after hearing that. "What rumors?"

"We heard that you stood up against Zac Armstrong. Did that really happen?"

"Yeah. This morning he was picking on this girl and I went up to stop it." I explained.

"You should probably consider transferring schools." Lars suggested.

"Why?"

"Why? Zac Armstrong is one of the toughest people in this school. He's head captain of the Beach City Lions. More importantly the last time somebody ever stood up to him...it didn't end very well." Sadie replied.

I was gonna ask what happened but instead I shut my mouth and took a sip from my milk. Before I was about to change the subject I looked at Lars and Sadie and noticed their frightened expressions. "Guys? What's wrong?"

They both pointed at me before I turned around and saw what they were pointing at.

"Listen up twerp. Afterschool. Stadium. We're picking up where we left off."

"Listen, I don't want to fight you." I replied while standing up.

Just then he grabbed my shirt and held me up again. "Too late. If you don't show, we will be coming for." He then pushed me down on the floor before he and his boys walked off.

As I sat myself up I could sigh before getting up from the floor.

"Are you alright?" Sadie asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I replied. " _Okay Zac. You asked for it."_

* * *

The final bell...

As soon as it rang I knew things were gonna go down. Sixth period ended and everybody was ready to go. As for me, it was a call card for something that couldn't be avoided.

I went straight to my locker and took out my helmet before looking at it. _Just put it on and go... Go...and avoid this before it gets out of hand._

I gripped onto my helmet before placing it back and closing my locker.

"You know he's gonna kill you, right?" A female said.

I nearly jumped from hearing it before turning around. "Oh hey. I'm not too worried about that."

"You should. My ex knows exactly how to break somebody in half. It's kinda his second hobby."

I didn't know how to respond after hearing that. Zac Armstrong is her ex? How? How can a girl like her be with someone like him? Their polar opposites. But then again, I shouldn't judge what the heart wants, but at the same time it doesn't make any sense.

"Is that the only thing you wanted to warn me about?" I asked while crossing my arms.

"Listen. Thanks for savin' my ass and all, but I just want you to know that he literally _will_ destroy you."

"I'm not too worried about that. I'm more concerned on what's gonna happen. But thanks for the warning Chloe."

As soon as I said that she glared at me. I uncrossed my arms before she went to me as our faces were now in close range. I'm almost afraid of getting a beat down from her instead of Zac.

"It's Chelsea." She firmly addressed.

I gulped as she distance herself from me. "Is...is that your new name?"

"Yes." She admitted. "Just get out of here. I'll convince Zac to take the load off of you."

I shook my head from that. "No. If he wants a fight, I'm giving him one, and I can't back down from this."

Chelsea's eyes widened from my response. She then sighed before walking away from me. I would go after her, but I'm sure we would only be dragging time and make Zac chase after me. I looked at my hands and balled them. Here I come Zac.

* * *

Outside I began walking toward the stadium. It was huge. Almost like a coliseum back in Rome. It's no wonder the Beach City Cats are so famous, we're giants.

As I entered inside my breath was taken away. Seriously, there were a large number of seats from left to right, the field was as big as a lake, and there were a large number of cat illustrations on the walls, railings, and near all exit doors.

Straight ahead I witnessed the person who challenged me alongside his boys. They were grinning while crossing their arms, thinking this wasn't gonna take to long to resolve and finish. Oh how wrong they were.

"Glad you made it." Zac greeted. "You know, most wimps chicken out on me or wet themselves. But you, you're definitely the first guy to really not give a crap and get it over with. I like that."

I walked over to them and made my way to the center of the field before stopping and placing my bag down against my leg.

"So punk. Are you ready to get your hands dirty?" The African American jock on the left asked while cracking his knuckles.

I remained silent.

"Aww. Got nothing to say now? Or are you afraid to see what Zac's gonna do to you?" The jock with a shaved haircut on the right asked.

"Listen to me. I don't want to do this at all. But you forced my hand, so if we're gonna do this I'll try and make sure the three of you won't get any critical injuries." I ensured before turning my body sideways and raising up my hands while balling them into fists.

Zac and his boys started laughing from my words. As soon as they were able to catch their breaths Zac cracked his neck. "Thanks for the joke twerp. And don't worry, the only person here who's gonna suffer from any critical injuries is you."

In a split second he dashed forward and threw a punch directly at my face. The impact pushed me down on the ground, but it wasn't over yet. "Mike. Daniel. Hold him up." Doing as he said, the other jocks quickly picked me up and held my arms. Zac threw numerous punches that ranged from my face, my cheek, and my stomach. I gawked, grunted, and groaned from everything thrown to me, but that all apart of the plan.

After the fifteenth punch landed at my stomach I gawked before Zac's boys released me as I fell face first to the ground. "Hmph. All bark and no bite." Zac said before he kicked me onto my back as I breathed heavily. "C'mon guys. He's learned his lesson."

I watched as they turned around and started walking away. "Wait!" I yelled out as I turned my over. "We're not done...Armstrong." I grunted while lifting my body up. God this was painful, especially after fifteen straight punches on me, but that didn't really get to me. It was rough, but not lethal.

Zac and his boys turned around and stared at me as I lifted my fists up. "Look at yourself, man. You can barely stand let alone put up a decent fight."

"That all you got...wuss?"

Getting angry from my comment, Zac walked over to me and threw another punch. However... I caught it by the wrist.

Shocked by my sudden move, Zac tried to release his hand from mine, but I wouldn't budge. I then hurled my other arm straight into his stomach, making him gawk before I launched an uppercut into his chin. This made him get launched into the air before he crashed back down on his back.

"Zac!" Mike and Daniel called out.

He grunted and groaned from my attack before slowly falling back down and closing his eyes. I then looked at Mike and Daniel as they were now pissed from me taking down their friend. Mike went up to punch me, but I squatted just as the punch got to me and kneed him hard in the gut, making him grunt before roundhouse kicking his head, causing him to spin before falling to the ground.

Last was Daniel. Just like the others and being a jackass, he began throwing punches at me. I moved my head left and right to avoid them, then by the third punch I grabbed it before counter punching his stomach. I then punched his stomach numerous times before kicking him straight forward, knocking him down and out.

I began breathing heavily while closing my eyes. I then fell to my knees before catching my breath. When I was able to get up I observed the area and turned from left to right, witnessing the damage that was dealt. Looking down at my hands and sighed before slowly walking over to my bag and picking it up before placing it on my back with only one strap.

I then started to walk slowly while exiting the stadium.

 _Take it slow. Just take it slow... and never turn back._

 _To Be Continued..._

 **End of Chapter 1.**

 **I hope you all liked this. Also some character names haven't been mentioned here because I didn't want to reveal anything just yet. As well this is only the beginning of what is to come in the end future.**

 **Cast**

 **Kameron**

Johnny Yong Bosch

 **Kameron's Sister#1**

Karen Strassman

 **Kameron's Sister#2**

Tara Strong

 **Kameron's Brother#1**

Greg Abbey

 **Kameron's Brother#2**

Tony Oliver

 **Kameron's Mother**

Nicole Oliver

 **Kameron's Father**

John Swasey

 **Kameron's Sister#3**

Kari Wahlgren

 **Angela Parks**

Mae Whitman

 **Chelsea 'Chloe' Parks**

Ashly Burch

 **Zachery Armstrong**

Joshua Lebar

 **Extras**

 **I do not own these names.**

 **This is cast of people who'll voice my OC's. This is all of them and the others will come so look out for that.**


	2. Intertwined

**Enjoy.**

 **Warning: Long chapter**

Chapter 2: Intertwined

When I entered inside the school I continued to slowly move forward while holding my right arm against my stomach.

 _Dammit... Zac and his guys really did a number on me. *grunt* Every step I take makes it worse. All of this just to save a girl I didn't even know. But... If I didn't intervene, Zac would've done something to her, and despite her attitude she doesn't deserve to get harassed. That's just like me. Watching out for other people and taking the hit for them._

After dragging a trail of grunts and groans I finally made it to my locker. I grabbed the lock with my left hand and filled in the combination before opening it.

 _There it is. My helmet... Getting home like this is gonna be a challenge... but it doesn't matter. As Amber and Pyrope told me: To be a fighter, you have to learn how to handle pain. And this is nothing compared to what they've put me through. Their sessions are less brutal than what Citrine has me do, but at least it gives me the exercise._

"Oh my god!" A voice called out.

When I heard it I turned around and saw the girls behind me with one showing a worried expression and the other a light concerned one.

"Kameron, what happened to you?" Angela asked as she approached me slowly.

"It's nothing. I just...got done with my fight with Zac and his guys. It's no big deal." I replied before grunting lightly again.

"By the looks of it, you actually won. I'm impressed." Chelsea said with crossed arms and a smile.

"Chelsea. This is serious. He's hurt." Angela replied firmly while looking back at her. "Kameron, let us help you to the nurse's office."

My eyes widened from hearing that. "No! I-I'm fine." I then started coughing a bit. "I'll walk it off. I just need to-" My legs finally gave out as I landed on my knees. I groaned in pain even more until I started feeling light headed. I looked at the girls and my vision started to get blurry before I closed my eyes and fell straight forward.

 _Crap..._

* * *

Muffled voices began coming through my ears. What was going on? What happened after I passed out?

I groaned while struggling to open my eyes. As I slowly opened them up the very first thing I saw was the ceiling. It looked so familiar...

I then slowly raised myself up and rubbed the back of my head.

"Honey? Are you okay?"

When I heard that voice I immediately turned to where it came from. To the left I noticed my brothers, my sisters, my dad, my mom, and the Parks Sisters. I then observed my surroundings and noticed that I was sitting longways on a couch. _I'm...home?"_

 _"_ Uhh...yeah. I think so?" I replied back to my mom.

"Oh thank goodness." She cried before coming toward me and wrapping her arms around my body while pressing it against hers.

I tensed up a little from this before closing my eyes and accepting it. In life, there's nothing more soothing than being hugged by your own parent.

After she was finished I was then attacked by my little sister who leaped into the air and wrapped her arms around me. "Oh I'm so happy you're okay. I was scared you wouldn't wake up again." She said while lightly rubbing her head against my chest.

"It's okay Lepidolite. I'm alright. You don't need to be scare." I replied while rubbing the top of her head.

When she was finished I looked at my right hand and saw that it was bare. I then looked at the other and saw the same thing.

"Are you okay?" Angela asked.

I looked at her before looking at my right wrist and covering it with my left hand. "Did you two see it?"

"See what?"

"My...Gem."

"You mean that sideways green diamond?" Chelsea asked.

I looked away after she said that.

 _Great job, Kameron. The one thing you wanted to avoid happening again is coming back. I'm such an idiot._

"Kameron." Angela softly called out.

I turned my head to look at her.

"You can tell us about it when you're ready. What matters right now is that you're okay. Nothing more."

I lightly gasped from hearing that. As I stared at her she placed her hands behind her and smiled kindly. I then looked at Chelsea who had her hands in her pockets while showing a small smile to me.

I wasn't sure how to respond to that. I thought the same thing was gonna happen again, but instead these girls aren't showing me any signs of disgust or neglect. I couldn't help but return their smiles.

"Okay." I nodded. "What happened to me after I passed out?"

"Well... after you fell unconscious, me and my sister picked you up and were about to take you to the infirmary until this black vortex suddenly appeared out of nowhere." She began.

"A voice inside it told us to go through it. It just came out of nowhere and I wasn't even prepared to see it. It was literally the coolest thing I've ever seen. Too bad this chicken was too much of a wimp to handle it." Chelsea added as she looked at her sister near the end.

"What did you expect? I was scared half to death." Angela complained while her cheeks reddened a bit. "But anyway, it said it wasn't going to hurt us and I wasn't sure on what to do so we both decided to take a chance and went inside after I closed your locker and placed the lock back on. When we got out we arrived here and met all of these people. After that the blue girl did something to you with her hands that made them glow and made your scratches and bruises disappear within seconds."

"My name is Azurite. And anytime someone here gets injured I use my powers to heal them." My sister announced as she approached us.

"Thanks, Azurite." I replied. "I guess now would be the time I introduce you two to the rest of my family." I added while looking at the girls as they turned back to view the others.

"The cowgirl leaning on the wall is Amber."

"Nice meetin' ya." She replied with a southern accent.

"The guy without a shirt and long braids is Pyrope."

"I'd prefer being topless. Helps me move faster." He replied with a smirk.

"The girl with her right covered is Charoite."

"Hello. I see one of you copied my hairstyle." She replied while looking at Chelsea. "Trust me. The girls in Japan have all taken a liking to it?" She added with a swift of her hair.

"I've read a few manga about that.." Chelsea replied.

"The big guy is Citrine." I addressed as they turned to look at him.

"Nice to meet you." He replied before grabbing them and placing them in a bear hug.

The girls tensed from this before he then released them, allowing them to breath again.

"Well... Nice to meet you too big...orange...mohawk man." Angela said while trying to catching her breath.

"Yeah... Same here." Chelsea added.

"Hi, I'm Lepidolite." My little sister with long waist length pink hair said as she appeared to them with a cute smile.

"Aww... Aren't you adorable." Angela said as she kneed down a bit to look at her.

"Guessing your the 'little' sister of the family huh?" Chelsea asked.

Lepidolite then puffed out her cheeks before turning her attention to Chelsea, "I'm Kameron's big sister. I'm older than him."

"Yeah, but I'm taller than you Lepidolite. So, that makes you the 'little' sister." I said with mischievous smile.

She puffed out her cheeks even more from my comment. Before she could say anything my last brother with Gothic clothing went up to the sisters.

"Hello there. My name is Onyx. I was the one who opened up the portal so you could bring my brother here." He said with a deadpan tone while raising his right hand to them.

Angela went first to take it without a word before Chelsea did the same.

"And finally are my mom and dad." I said as they turned to look at them.

"It's nice to meet the both of you." My dad said.

"Me as well." My mom added.

The girls waved at them before looking back at me.

"You have a really big family, Kameron." Chelsea said.

"Yeah. Trust me, these guys are a lot to deal with." I replied with a small chuckle.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Pyrope asked with narrow eyes.

"Nothing."

"You're not so different mister. I still remember the time you've gone and made me chase ya around all because you wouldn't eat your veggies." Amber addressed.

Angela giggled from hearing that while Chelsea smiled at me as I had my cheeks burn red from embarrassment.

"Well anyway, I think it's time for us to go. It's getting kinda late." Angela said as she looked over to the window and saw that it was already sunset.

"Do you girls need a ride home?" My mom asked.

"Nah, we're good." Chelsea replied as she walked near the window. "I recognize the neighborhood. Our house is about a block from here. An easy jog and we'll be there before dinner."

My eyes widened from hearing that, "Wait. So you girls actually live near me?"

"It looks like it." Angela claimed as she stood up while straightening up her back. "See you at school tomorrow, Kameron." She added as her and Chelsea left.

"Later Mr. Badass." Chelsea called out as she walked out of the house.

When they left I closed my eyes and sighed before looking down at my Gem on my wrist. My reflection appeared from it as I raised it closely toward my face. _Should I trust them? Can I show them? I don't know..._

"So, Kameron. Those lil girls of yours said you were in a fight." Amber said, gaining my attention.

"Y-yeah. This guy named Zac was messing with Chelsea. I only just met her today and it wasn't any of my business on what was going on, but I stepped in and he challenged me to a fight."

"Did you lose?" Pyrope asked.

I shook my head, "No. I let him and his friends get me first before I got back up and fought back. They didn't stand a chance."

"Damn. All that training really paid off on you, huh?" Pyrope replied with a smirk.

"Pyrope, this isn't a game." Azurite said while looking at him with a firm expression.

"Hey, Kameron won, so that let's him gain some props." Amber replied with a smile too.

"Yeah." Citrine added.

"That still doesn't mean it's a good thing." My mom said to them before turning to me. "Kameron, how many times do we have to tell you not to get into fights?" She added while placing her index finger and thumb between her eyes.

"What was I suppose to do, mom? Let him do whatever he wanted with her and probably hurt her? I thought you raised me to stand up for myself and do the right thing?" I protested.

"My son." My dad said as I turned my attention to him. "You are correct. Me and your mother did teach you that and your brothers and sisters did teach you how to fight out of self-defense, but what we are saying to you right now is a reminder of the other times you've gotten into fights. You are stronger and faster than normal which gives you an advantage, but at the same time we're telling you to avoid fights for your own safety, regardless on whoever started it."

I looked away after he said that.

"Honey, we're only saying this because we love you. Understand?" My mom said softly.

"Yeah... I understand..." I replied before looking back at everyone and got up from the couch. "I'm gonna go take a shower."

* * *

Minutes later after I was done and placed my nightwear on I went into my room and placed my clothes in a basket and my goggles on top of my dresser before laying down on my bed with my arms behind my head and looking up at the ceiling.

 _Some day this turned out to be. Getting my ass kick by a bunch of jocks and met two girls who now know my secret. Still... At least on the bright side those punks got what they deserved._

A knocking sound that came on my door.

"Kameron? Are you still up?"

Hearing that voice I got out of bed before walking up to the door and opening it. On the other side were my sister.

"You know I saw this coming, right?"

"I know. May I still come in?"

I sighed before nodding and moving aside to let her in. I then closed my closed door before we both sat together on the edge of my bed.

"Was the rest of your day okay?" She asked.

"Yeah." I replied. "You know I really can't hide anything from you."

"I know, but you should also know that I only push forward when it's necessary. I don't always pry into other people's secrets or thoughts."

I smiled a little from that before I turned away and looked at the floor. That's just like her. Every time I got into a fight she heals me and comes up to talk to me about it. The others do the same sometimes but she always takes the first step to go. I guess that's why I admire her so much. She is my sister after all.

I then felt a hand on my shoulder. When I looked back at her she looked at me with her eyes shaking lightly. I really didn't like it when she did this.

"Kameron. I love you. You know that, right?" She told me.

"I love you too, Azurite."

She then leaned in a placed a small kiss on my cheek. "Get some sleep, okay?"

I nodded as she stood up and walked out of my room. When she left I looked at my Gem again before deciding to call it a night.

Then just before I was about to enter my bed a sudden reminder just popped into my head.

 _Aww crap!_

* * *

As next morning came I felt my bed rocking. I opened my eyes and saw a small figure jumping up and down on my mattress.

"Time to wake up Kameron." She said with her usual happy tone.

"Lepidolite, darling sister of mine." I replied while leaning up.

"Yes, my darling brother of mine?"

"Could you please stop. You're gonna fall."

She then stopped bouncing before lunging toward me for a hug. I tensed up as her arms were squeezing me.

"I love you. I really, really, really love you, Kameron." She said with her usually cutie voice.

"I...I love you too. Now...that's...enough...I'm...gonna suffocate." I replied with a struggled voice.

She then released me from her death grip and showed my her cute innocent smile before getting off of my bed.

"I'll see you downstairs."

After she left I took a breath and got out of bed. Once my bed was made and my clothes were on there was only two more things left to do. First I picked up my goggles and placed them on my forehead underneath my hair. Second I opened up my dresser drawer and saw five rolls of white tape bandages.

I took one out and started covering half of my right arm with it before doing the same with the left.

 _It's not always fun putting these on and taking them off. But it's for a good reason. Just gotta deal with it. That's all there is to it._

* * *

As I made my way downstairs with my bookbag I only noticed Citrine, Charoite, Lepidolite, and my dad at the table. I guess something came up and the others had to go handle it.

"Morning honey." My mom called as she approached me with a quick hug. "Breakfast is on the table. Have a good day and I'll see you later on."

"Okay mom." I replied before she walked passed me and went out the door to get to work.

I went to the table and sat down before looking at a cup of OJ and taking a sip from it.

"How are you feeling today Kameron?" Citrine asked after eating a whole box of cereal and drinking a gallon of milk with it.

"I'm feeling a little better. Except..." I replied before slapping my face with my hand.

"Except...what?" Charoite asked.

"I left my bike and helmet at school. I'm pretty sure it gotten confiscated and I gotta get it back this afternoon." I replied before another thought hit me. "Wait a minute. How did you all know I was in trouble yesterday?"

"It was Azurite. She checks on you to make sure you're coming home safely, but when she told us she didn't receive an answer back Onyx stepped in. The rest you know." My dad said as he looked at me.

My eyes widened a bit from that response. "Oh... Right, I forgot about that."

"I can take you to school if you want?" Charoite asked with a suggestive smile.

"Thanks Char. Is it alright if we go now?"

She licked her lips and nodded as she got up and walked away from the table with me following her.

"Have a good day." My dad called.

"Thanks dad. Citrine, you can have my leftovers in you want." I called back.

"Thank you." He replied.

* * *

On the road I hopped onto my sister's motorcycle with her and we drove off toward my school.

Whenever she wanted me to come along with her like this I always had to hold onto her waist whenever she sped up. At the same time I still get the amazing feeling of the wind flowing through my face and hair.

"Hey Kameron." Char called.

"Yeah?"

"If you want I can make sure this "Zac" guy doesn't mess with you anymore. What do you think?"

"Char, we talked about this. I have to deal with my own problems. I know you want to help, but the last time you and the others stepped in it didn't end every well."

"C'mon, you know those bullies had it coming. They practically wet themselves."

"I still want to handle this. Okay?"

"Okay."

* * *

Later on we arrived my school. I looked and the bike racks and noticed that my bike wasn't there. At least my helmet was still in my locker so it wasn't a total loss.

I got off of my sister's bike as she took off her helmet to look at me.

"You know if this happens again I will not be held responsible for what I'll do to him."

"I know. But trust me, I'll try to avoid him and if we do fight then I'll have to fight back. Even though my mom and dad don't want me to, you know I'm not coward to just run away unless I need to."

"I understand. Come here." She replied while holding out her arms to me.

I walked up to her and we shared a hug. She then placed a soft kiss on my cheek after we were done.

"Love you."

"Love you too, sis."

She then winked at me and placed her helmet back on before revving up her bike, speeding off.

Once that was taken care of I pulled off my goggles and placed them back on my forehead while walking forward to the entrance.

* * *

Inside I walked straightforward and went straight to my locker to put away my books that I didn't need at the moment.

"Hey! Forest Head!" A voice called out to me.

 _Great. As soon as I walked in I knew the one thing that was gonna happen was seeing him again._

I turned around and saw Zac and his pals with some bandages on their faces. They all approached me before Zac grabbed my shirt and pinned me to the lockers.

"You've got some nerve. Getting in my business, laying a smack down on my and my boys, and now you just got your name added to the top of my list buddy."

"Which one? Being the number one jerk in school? Or is it the one where you think you can do whatever you want just because you guys are jocks?"

This didn't make Zac any happier as he raised his fist at me. Just before he gave to me we both heard someone clear their throat.

"Would somebody like to tell me what is going on here?" An older male voice called out.

Me, Zac and his guys turned to see where it came from and saw him. An older man with a short white beard and white hair. He also wore a black suit with a tie, white dress shirt, and dress shoes.

"Principal Owens." Zac said as he lowered me down.

"Mike. Daniel. You two go to class." He said sternly with the guys nodding and quickly walking away. "As for you two. My office. Now."

"Yes sir." We both replied as Zac replied me before we followed him through the hallway.

 _Can this get any worse?_

* * *

When we both arrived and went inside his office there were three other figures there. The first two were Angela and Chelsea, but the third was a girl I've never met before. She had long shoulder length red hair, blue eyes, and was fair skinned. She wore a pink shirt, jean jacket, blue jeans, striped sneakers, and what looked like light orange lipstick.

"Scarlett? What are you doing here?" Zac said.

"Nice to see you too, tiger." She replied with crossed arms and a annoyed tone in her voice. "I was brought up here by Principal Owens this morning in the halls."

"And why are you here Chelsea?"

"How should I know, dumbass. My sister kinda dragged me here after we just got here." She replied with the same tone as Scarlett.

"Ms. Parks. Language." Principal Owens called.

She just rolled her eyes and him.

"Hey Angela." I greeted to her.

"Hey. Good to see you."

"Why am I here?"

"That's what we're going to discuss Mr. Evans. Now, you and Mr. Armstrong take a seat." Principal Owens replied.

I listened and took a seat in the right chair next to his large table desk while Zac took the left and the girls remained standing.

"As you all know, I do not tolerate violence at my school. I have information given to me by Angela about what had happened yesterday and clear security footage of what transpired at the school Stadium. Mr. Evans. Can you explain to me why you fought Mr. Armstrong?"

"He was harassing Chelsea in the halls. I fought him because I just wanted to get it over with." I answered, earning me a nod from him.

"And you Mr. Armstrong. Why did you harass Chelsea and later on beat up Mr. Evans?"

"He got in my business. As for her, I was just trying to fix our relationship and she wouldn't give me another chance." Zac answered before looking away with crossed arms.

"Yeah, as if that's ever gonna happen." Chelsea retorted.

Principal Owens took a breath from his as he intertwined his hands exhaling out of his mouth. "Okay then."

"I had brought Scarlett here as part of your punishments. Neither one of you shall be expelled, suspended, have detention or be dropped out of your afterschool activities. However, from this day forward until further notice at this school, these three girls are going to monitor you both." He added.

"WHAT?!" All of us asked with shocked expressions.

"You heard me. Angela. Chelsea. You are to look after Kameron. And Zac, you are to be looked after by Scarlett. If any of you ever start a fight again you will earn a strike. Three strikes and I'll change my mind about the other options."

 _Seriously? This is my punishment? This is for kindergartners? But...now that I'm thinking about it, at least it's better than getting expelled._

 _"_ You can't be serious. You're having my ex watch over this green haired twerp while having my other ex watch me?" Zac asked with a firm tone.

"Correct. They are to remain by your side all day until the school hour ends. As well, just because it'll end doesn't mean you're free to go back to your old ways. They'll report to me if anything happens. Am I clear?" Principal Owens replied.

Zac agreed as I did as well, unfortunately. I looked at the Parks sister to see that they were a little okay with this. Then I looked at Scarlett and noticed her annoyed expression. This doesn't see good for her.

 _This should be interesting. And maybe this'll help me get to know the girls little more. I just hope I can make this work out somehow._

 **End of Chapter 2.**

 **Cast**

 **Kameron Evans:** Johnny Yong Bosch

 **Angela Parks:** Mae Whitman

 **Chelsea Parks:** Ashly Burch

 **Amber:** Meghan Carey Black

 **Azurite:** Kari Wahlgren

 **Pyrope:** Greg Abbey

 **Citrine:** Patrick Seitz

 **Charoite:** Karen Strassman

 **Lepidolite:** Tara Strong

 **Onyx:** Tony Oliver

 **Mr. Evans:** John Swasey

 **Mrs. Evans:** Nicole Oliver

 **Zac Armstrong:** Joshua Lebar

 **Extras**

 **The first names of Kameron's parents will come in later on. Other than that these people are my dream cast of voice actors and actress of my characters. Hope you all like them because to me, they are very talented.**

 **Disclaimer:** As I've said before I do not own anything related to Steven Universe. Last reminder.


	3. Gamble

Chapter 3: Gamble

Sixth period. The last class of the day and studying through my favorite subject: History.

Mathematics and Art are technically my favorite classes to participate in, due to my straightforward teachers, but History became my third favorite due to learning about the past and hearing about what transpired before we were even brought into this life. Most of my classmates were either bored out of their minds or really didn't care and just wanted to get it over with. Me? I paid attention to some topics that were interesting.

"Now, would anyone here like to explain the origins of Misty Swamp for today's topic?" My Teacher asked.

I went first to raise my hand.

"Kameron."

I stood up and cleared out my throat before I started speaking, "Misty Swamp is located directly in New Orleans and was found in the late seventeen hundredths. Long ago it was an ordinary place for tourists and travelers to explore and venture. One day it was told that a group of people lurked inside the swamp and never returned. To this day, whenever someone goes inside the swamp they're destined to suffer the same fate."

"Correct." She replied with a nod. "I've also heard reports about this on the news lately."

"Does anyone know the cause of this?" A male student behind me asked as I sat back down.

"Apparently no. It's stated that the wildlife of the swamp might be the cause and no further evidence has been made publicly."

Interesting. It could be that or...something else. I wonder what...

* * *

For the rest of class we just had to write down assumptions and theories about Misty Swamp.

 _The wildlife of the swamp is a possibility... but there has to be more than that. It could very well be another monster lurking around in the shadows searching for it's prey, or a unknown phenomenon I haven't seen yet. I don't know. It's debatable on either end._

The bell then suddenly rang as I finished up my paper. Everyone around me including myself stopped writing and the Student Council President stood up before gathering the papers to give to the teacher.

After that we all started packing up our things to get ready for weekend, the only time where we got to relax and take a break from assignments and drama.

Once I was done packing up my bag I stood up from my seat and stretched out my arms before picking up my bag and placing it on my back. I then waited for everyone else to leave the room because walking all together in a crowd can really make you feel uncomfortable in a tight space.

"Hey Kameron." A voice called.

I turned around to see where it came from and noticed a familiar face.

"Hey. What's up?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to hang out tonight. I've got this new co-op game that's totally sick."

I was about to answer him until I felt a small vibration feeling from my pocket. It suddenly stopped before I placed my hand in there and took out my phone to notice a message sent to me.

 _"Kameron. We've gotta mission today. Don't be late comin' home ya hear."_

After I read it I placed it back in my pocket before turning back to my friend. "Sorry. Something just came up and I gotta handle it."

"What's up?"

"It's a family problem. Sorry, Lars. Maybe tomorrow if I'm not busy, okay?"

He frowned a little from my response. I hated that I had to lie to him and Sadie about what I'm really involved in. However... it was for the best. I don't want to relive that moment in my live again. It's better to just keep them in the dark for a while.

"Okay. Just don't chicken out on me tomorrow." He replied while raising his fist to me.

I did the same to him and we shared a fist bump before retracting our hands away.

I then started leaving the classroom with the Student Council President following me and I'm sure that her sister is going to join up pretty soon. I was right as she appeared around the corner and walked on my left side.

"So Mr. Badass, are you finally gonna tell us about that Gem on your wrist?" She asked.

"Chelsea. He'll tell us when he's ready. Stop putting pressure on him." Angela replied while narrowing her eyes to her sister.

"C'mon, it's the end of the week. I've waited patiently enough and I wanna know."

I sighed after she was finished before approached my locker. I was standing a few feet from then until I turned around to look at them. I didn't want to do this, but if they're gonna be stuck with me for a while then I guess I can trust them with this for the time being.

"Are you okay?" Angela asked.

"Can you two keep a secret?" I asked.

"Why?" Chelsea replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Swear to me you won't tell a soul about this."

"Uh...again, why?"

"Swear it!" I stated firmly.

The sisters were a bit taken back from my tone. I know this wasn't the best way to ask them, but I wanted to make sure.

"Okay, calm down. I swear." Chelsea said as she light raised up her hands.

"Cross my heart." Angela added while doing the hand sign from her words.

I looked back and forth to see that nobody in particular was paying any attention to us. Good. I then turned around and opened up my locker. Using my left hand I ripped off the bandages from my right hand, revealing my Gem. With it I picked up a spare pencil from the bottom of my locker and turned around to show it to the girls.

"Watch carefully." I asked.

They nodded and directed all of their attention to the pencil.

I then turned my attention to the pencil and stared at it. As I did this the pencil was now being engulfed by one of the most rarest and unique materials in the world. Once I was finished I handed it to Chelsea as her and her sister were now speechless from my actions.

"Dude, is this...really..." Chelsea asked, hardly able to speak.

"It is."

"Wow. That's amazing." Angela said in awe. "Is that why you wear those bandages?"

I shook my head before answering, "No. That's not the real reason. But that secret stay with me. In the meantime, you both can keep that, okay?"

"Cool. I bet you don't need to worried about getting an allowance, huh?" Chelsea asked as she placed the pencil in her pocket.

"I actually earn it from house chores. Pretty soon I'm sure my parents would want me to get a job. Not really looking forward to that just yet." I replied as I got my helmet out and closed my locker door.

"It doesn't hurt to find a job, Kameron. I have one afterschool except the weekends." Angela proclaimed.

"Actually you have three. Your current job I don't know about, being the Student Council President, and you and your sister being my babysitters." I replied with a grin.

Angela just giggled a bit from my response. "You do have a point there. Well, have a good weekend then."

"You've officially been released from your leash. Enjoy your freedom while it lasts, because I'm sure you'll miss us on Monday." Chelsea teased with a smile.

I returned it before the three of us went our separate ways to go home. I then placed my right hand in my jacket pocket as I walked to make sure no-one else would see it. I'm also relieved that the girls took it very well, but still, I have to be careful until I'm ready to fully tell them and my friends.

* * *

As I made it home the garage door was opening up with Amber appearing from the other side with her arms crossed and having a piece of hay in her mouth.

"Hey, Amber. How are you doing?" I asked as I parked my bike to the side and taking off my helmet.

"Okay. Glad yer home now. Are ya ready to go?" She replied as she turned to me and taking out the hay straw.

"Yeah. Is dad down in the basement?"

"He is. C'mon."

After putting down my bookbag I followed my sister down the flight of stairs toward the basement. As we got to the bottom there was a large steel door directly in front of us and a password system on the right side of it.

"Care ta do the honors?" She asked me.

I nodded as I approached the keypad and raised my hand while pointing out my index finger.

 _Four sixty-five, twenty-four twenty-four._

A green light then flashed and I started hearing gears and locks unraveling. The door then began to open from the side and we walked through it until another door appeared up ahead. The one had a knob and was easily opened by my sister without any safety precautions.

On the other side of the door was a massive room. There were large flat screens on the walls, monitors at the bottom of them, and in the middle was one of the biggest screens that was larger than a flat screen TV. I could only stare in awe at this. I've seen it several times when I was a kid, but no matter how many times I see it, I still can't get over the fact at how amazing it looked.

I then looked down at a computing station and noticed my dad watching the news. Me and Amber traveled down another flight of stairs before walking to him.

"Hey dad." I called out.

He then turned around and gave me his attention with a small grin. "Hello my son. How was your day?"

"It was good. Same old same old. What about you?"

"I've been busy." He replied before turning his attention to the screen. "Tell me Kameron, have you ever seen this before?"

I placed my attention on the screen and saw that they were talking about Misty Swamp. Wow, how surprising that what you learn in school can eventually follow you home.

"Yeah, I've seen it. I've actually had to learn about it today in class."

"As you know about the abnormalities of the area, I have looked through the satellite and I have found the cause inside the swamp. Can you and Amber take of this before the situation gets out of hand?"

My eyes widened from what my dad said. "Really? What is it?"

"That is something you both are going to find out. I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise." He replied before getting up from his chair. "And before you go I have something special to give to you, my son."

He then walked over to the other side of the room and stopped at steel wall. I watched him place his right hand on the side of it and in a few seconds the wall started to open up from the bottom.

I walked up to him as he turned around and presented me with something. It looked like a long steel sword with a white grayish handle.

"Take this. You need it for your adventures ahead." My dad said as he presented it to me.

I widened my eyes before I looked down at the sword and back at him, "Dad, I can't take this. It belongs to you. Are you sure?"

He nodded, "You're fifteen now, Kameron. You are old enough now to possess your very own weapon like your brothers and sisters do. And I am fully aware that you have the potential to use this sword as you see fit. Take it. The Dragon's Claw wants to be with you now."

I looked down at the sword again and slowly raised my hand toward it. I then gripped the handle and lifted it out of my dad's hands before raising it up in the air. I brought down and thought that it could use a little upgrade, so using my left hand I placed it on the blade and it started to change and become engulfed in a new material that'll make it stronger and more to my tastes. After I was finished the sword started to glow green for a brief moment before the glow disappeared and I placed it on my back with added support to keep it there.

"Thanks dad. I promise to take good care of it."

He nodded before I turned to look at Amber. "What do you think, sis? Pretty badass huh?"

"It sure does, hun. But let's get a move on shall we? I wanna keep mah skill up and adam, and I hope you can keep up with me on that." She replied while bringing out her weapon and twirling it around in her hand before putting it away.

* * *

Moments later me and Amber arrived inside Misty Swamp. The first thing that hit me was the environment. All around us was a light mist and the sky was gray with only fragments of sunlight coming out. There were huge trees in my vision and of course the obvious, murky grass and mud to walk around in.

"Here we are. Let's get movin'." Amber said as she started walking off.

I followed her as we walked straight ahead.

As we walked the only things I could hear were frog croaks and crickets sounds. I kept looking around and straightforward while wondering what we were gonna find. For some reason, I've got a bad feeling about this.

A little further down Amber spread her left arm in front of me, stopping my movement as she stopped.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

She didn't answer. Instead, she looked and moved her head back and forth from side to side before stopping. Then in a split second she backed away and took out her weapon before shooting directly in the air above me. I squatted as she did this before she stopped and I leaned up to look at where she shot at.

"Uh... Were you shooting at thin air?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Wait for it." She calmly but strongly replied.

I didn't get what she meant. However... I started hearing tree branches crack and brake. Then from heaven knows where, a large creature suddenly dropped near me. I was startled and backed away a little before taking a good long look at what it was. That...was a big mistake.

The creature then got up and screeched loudly. I looked at it and it had the most horrific faces I've ever seen. Those eyes, those fangs, those legs. Yup, it's a giant spider.

It then screeched at me before lunging forward with it's fangs. I quickly brought out my sword and stuffed it in it's mouth. I started struggling a little before pushing this thing a few feet away from me and getting it's mouth from my sword. I then stood my guard and waited for it to attack me again, and even though this is by far the most disturbing thing in my life, I can't let it hold me down. The spider tumbled a little through the water before shaking it's head and quickly crawling it's way to me again.

Just as it was about to attack me again I heard a bang and saw a small blast of energy pass right beside my neck and go straight through the spider's head. It then immediately fell to the ground and poofed.

"There. It's down." She said before walking pass me and picking something up from the ground.

I was paralyzed for a moment until I shook my head and snapped out of it. "Amber, you could've hit me with that."

"I know. But I didn't. And take a look at this." She replied casually as she opened up her hand to show me what was inside.

"Is that-" I said before getting interrupted.

"Yep. A Gem." She replied before bubbling it and sending it away. "I can take a wild guess that these varmints are the ones responsible for takin' the folks who went missin'."

"Do you think there are more out there?"

"One spider ain't gonna take a lotta people by itself . Let's keep movin' and do some exterminatin' if we ever see more."

I nodded as we continued on.

* * *

Deeper and deeper we walked into the swamp. The deeper we got the darker the atmosphere became and the light from the sky was starting to fade a bit.

"Hey Kameron, can ya still see?"

"A little. Getting kinda dark."

Just then my sister started glowing all over which caused me to cover my eyes from the sudden flash. I then tripped and felt straightforward toward the ground. As I got up I groan and rubbed the mud and sludge from my eyes and near my mouth.

"Enjoyed the mud bath?" She said with a snicker.

"Ha, ha, ha. Just keep walking." I replied before spitting to my left.

She did just that before suddenly stopping. "Hey, ya might wanna come and see this."

I walked up beside her and my eyes widened from what I saw straight above us. The way they looked... my god. Where do these monsters come from? My body started to shiver a bit as I stared at the horror image. The way they looked, the...the poses they're in. Is that how they're gonna treat me if they catch me?

I suddenly felt a hand being placing on my right shoulder. I was startled, but only for a brief second before I turned to see another horrific face with eight eyes. I screamed and jumped away, causing me to fly and fall straight on my butt in the ground.

The face started laughing and changed back to what it was before. "Oh man, you should've seen the look on ya face."

I instantly glared at her and groaned while getting up. "That's not funny, sis."

"Oh yeah it was. It was priceless." She said before wiping a tear from her eye.

My expression didn't change before I huffed and started walking forward in irritation.

 _Every time. Whenever she gets the opportunity she nearly scares the crap out of me._

Just as I walked a few feet from her I suddenly heard a loud voice.

"HELP! PLEASE HELP US!"

I then looked up above me and noticed a man and a woman trapped on a giant web with three giant spiders crawling slowly to them.

"SOMEBODY! PLEASE!"

Without thinking I ran straight to a tree and began jumping from one branch to another.

"Kameron, wait!" Amber called out.

I didn't listen. I continued jumping until I was able to reach them. I dashed forward and used my sword to slash straight through the web, breaking it apart before landing on another tree branch and repeating my actions while rescue the people trapped. I grabbed them and landed a bit roughly on the ground while sliding and stopping near my sister.

"Watch them." I asked before quickly turning around and facing the spiders.

I ran toward them as they did to me. One of them spun a web at me with it's mouth, but I quickly jumped over the attack and dived down toward it, slicing it's head in half, making it poof. I then turned my attention to the others and glared at them before raising my sword and slashing off their heads in one swing, repeating the same process from the last.

I then collected the Gems and placed them in a bubble before retracting my sword and rushing over to the man, woman, and my sister.

"Are they okay?"

"A bit shakin up, but I think they're gonna fine." She replied. "That was really reckless of you to just jump in like that without me."

"Save the criticisms for later. We need to worry more about them. And no offense sis, but when someone is in trouble I help them, no questions asked."

She sighed from my reply as we helped the man and woman on their feet. The looks on their faces... their eyes... I couldn't even imagine what they've just been through.

* * *

"I see. Are there more out there?" I asked the woman.

"Y-Yeah. They were all crawling around and it was frightening to just look at them. Thank the lord it's over." She replied as she placed a hand on her chest before releasing a soft breath.

"Don't count ya chickens before they hatch. Do ya know where the Web is?" Amber asked around.

"You two aren't planning to go there, are ya?" The man asked.

My sister nodded as she stood up, "We gotta. It's our job."

"You can't go there. You two have know idea what it's like in there. You'll get captured and even worse, you'll be eaten alive like the others." The woman protested.

"Miss, it's okay. Me and my sister are professionals at this." I stated.

"Technically I'm a veteran at this. My brother here is basically still getting use to this, but the fact of the matter is that we're gonna go there and take out the source." Amber added.

The man was about to say something until he stopped himself and looked away for a few seconds before turning back to us. "Okay. After seeing you help us I can see you can handle it."

"Thanks. Now please tell us where the Web is."

"Just go deeper into the swamp and there are these large trees standing side by side. That's where it is."

"Thanks." Amber replied. "By the way, how did you two end up here in the first place?"

"I wanted to know about the mysteries of the swamp and why people were disappearing from them. I wanted to find out the truth and maybe learn about the strange things happening in this world." He explained.

"I tagged along because I didn't want him to go alone and risk never seeing him again." She added. "And if you two are willing to go and take care of this, then please be careful. Both of you."

We nodded to her words as the man helped his wife from the ground. "Do you both need help getting out of here?" I asked.

"No thanks. I've got a map that'll guide us back to where we were. No worries." The man replied as he showed us his map.

"Okay. But just to be safe..." I said before I looked left and right and noticed a large stick sitting on the ground. I walked toward it and picked it up before staring at it and having it be consumed by the rare material, changing it completely. I then turned around and presented it to the married couple while handing it to the man. "Here. If you ever get attacked or if something happens then use this to defend yourselves."

The couple looked at it for a moment before the man reached out his hand and took it out of mine. "Wow. How are able to do that?"

"It's one of my talents. Wish we could talk more but we've gotta go now. C'mon on, sis." I replied as I turned around with her following behind me.

* * *

We ventured even further through the swamp until we ultimately stopped at our destination. Directly in front of us, and as disturbing and threatening as it was, me and my sister found the Web.

It was the size of a skyscraper window, even bigger than that. All over it was practically a hundred spiders crawling around, with an even bigger one resting straight in the middle eating it's dinner. That looked gross beyond even the most disturbing thing I've ever witnessed. And the more I looked at it I started to ball my fists and narrow my eyes.

"Are ya scared?" She asked me.

"No, I'm not scared."

I looked at her as she did to me with a bland expression before raising her left eyebrow up. I turned my face away from hers and took in a breath before exhaling. "Okay, maybe I am a little scared. I mean it's a giant spider with it's kids eating things they're suppose to eat."

"Just ten minutes ago you didn't show any fear when fightin' those other spiders."

"People were in danger. But yeah, I see your point, I'm bipolar about this whole thing. But you told me once that when things got serious then I had to push away my fears and get the job done at any cost." I replied before turning my face to hers again.

She nodded before responding, "You're right, I did tell ya that. But remember Kameron, it's alright to show that you're afraid of something. It's what grounds you from make really dumb decisions, but at the same time it keeps ya away from danger. On the other hand though, fear can be a weapon too. Remember: It's alright to be scared, but show others that you can be intimidating too."

I lightly smiled from her words. And she did have a point. If we're gonna end all of this then I can't just be bipolar. I need to show them that we're the ones to be afraid of.

I then raised my arm and grabbed the handle from my sword and pulled it away from my back and lowering it toward my thigh. Amber summoned out her weapon and straightened up her hat while giving off a small glow.

"Hey sis." I said as we both looked at each other. "Let me handle the mother while you handle the babies."

Her eyes widened from my request before she grew a smirk. "Givin' me a crowd to deal with while tendin to mama, huh? I like it. Need a extra boost for ya dinner date?"

"Nah, it'll make you slower. I'd hate to mess up your fun time." I replied, returning her smirk.

"Alright. If that's whatcha want, then do it. Just make sure you're focused on your actions, alright?"

I nodded as we turned to our targets. Amber fired off with a bang, instantly poofing one of the spiders. This action alone made all of the spiders, including the mother, turn their attention to us. For a few seconds, the whole area became quiet. The crickets, frogs, and dragonflies were the only sounds left in the air. Then...it happened. The mother screeched loudly with it's children following her actions.

The children then started to rapidly crawl from the Web toward the ground and charge toward us. I started running toward them while my sister started taking shots. I then started jumping up into the air before landing on a spider's head and hopping from one to the next as fast as I could. They aren't the ones I want to fight. The mother is my target.

As I jumped off from the last spider I raised my sword and swung it straight at the mother's face, pushing the both of us from the Web; breaking it apart and causing us to land on the ground. I landed a few feet away from it and skid across the swamp water slightly until I stopped and stood my guard. The mother looked at me and hissed loudly before shooting a web out of it's mouth and launch it toward me.

I dodged it and began running at it, raising up my sword before attempting to strike at it. However, it quickly looked up and shot it's web at me again, grabbing my shirt before turning it's head and throwing me at a nearby tree. I felt the harsh impact before sliding down to the mud. When I tried to get up the mother dashed toward me at full force with it's mouth wide open. I quickly pulled up my sword and it attached it's mouth on it while trying to break it, however as we started struggling back and forth I began pushing it back a little before doing it completely, making it release it's mouth from my sword.

 _My first time using the Dragon's Claw my dad gave me and here I am, letting a giant spider try to break it. *Sigh* this is gonna be a long fight._

I then glared at the mother and started yelling while running at it again.

* * *

 **Amber**

While my brother was handlin' the mama, I got mah hands full with her kids. Big crowds. One of my favorite challenges.

One by one as these things were gettin' to me I had a special gift for each and everyone of them. Blast by blast, hearing the sound of my toy going off, and hittin' every target in mah vision without a care in the world? What more could a gal like me want? This doesn't even top the other round ups I've done in my lifetime.

Then outta nowhere a web got me from behind and pulled me back, makin' me fall down to the mud. Another spider tried to get me as I dove to me with it's fangs open, rookie mistake. I placed my gal in it's mouth and took a shot, causin' it to poof and allowing me to get up as I raised mah legs and squatted before standing up straight with the rest of the young lookin at me funny.

I smirked at them and raised up my left hand, usin' my index finger to call them over. The spiders started doin' the opposite, backin' away from me.

 _Sorry sugar cubes, but there ain't no escapin' when ya made the mistake to come after me._

* * *

 **Kameron**

Me and the mother continued our quality time... with it spitting out webs and me dodging every single one of them without getting it. Hopefully my first impression hasn't upset it too much.

After it was finishing web spitting I swung my sword and launched some projectiles at it. A few were able to hit it, giving me a change to finish this up. As I was able to catch my breath I ran at it again while holding and gripping onto my sword with both hands before taking one final leap into the air.

The mother looked up and spat out another web line, but I quickly dodged it and as I got closer I launched my sword straight into it's back, making it screech in pain. It then collapsed on the ground with it's legs giving out and ultimately poofed, leaving only it's Gem remaining.

I started breathing heavily. That fight was pretty brutal, and if I hadn't kept dodging and pushing it back then it could've eaten me, but lucky me, I'm not on the menu tonight. I then retracted my sword and grabbed the Gem before bubbling it and sent it away.

I then turned around and noticed Amber finishing up her "fun time" with only one spider left. Once it was poofed and bubbled away I slowly walked over to her to check on her before getting the mother-load of unexpected surprises. She launched her fist into my stomach, causing me to gawk before a took a step back from her.

"Ugh. Sis, what the hell was that for?" I said with irritation.

"Just makin' sure you could still take a punch, and to make sure you weren't gettin' soft on me." She replied before looking down at her fist and blowing on it.

"We just defeated a crap ton of spiders and you just punched me? Who does that?!"

She only smirked from what I just said before walking up to me and patting my right shoulder. "Good job lil' brother. Now, how 'bout we head outta here and rest before headin' back?"

As I managed the sucker punch she delivered, I nodded to her offer. A little rest for a while before heading home sounded alright to me. She smiled and placed an arm around me as we started walking out of here.

 _Looks like the legend of Misty Swamp now has a new chapter added to it... the day two people walked in and returned with only a few scratches here and there. But, even though me and my sister were able to defeat the source of the kidnappings there was still a lingering question I've wanted to ask each of my siblings and was afraid to actually bring it up._

 _Where did all of this monsters come from?_

 **End of Chapter 3.**

 **Sorry for the long wait, I had a lot of planning on this one .**

 **Hope you all enjoyed it.**


	4. Alliance

**Please enjoy. Warning: Long Chapter**

Chapter 4: Alliance

"Clear the mind. Quiet the storming thoughts and then may you find peace in not just yourself, but within your soul." She asked me.

I took a breath from my nose and slowly exhaled from my mouth as I intertwined my hands while sitting with my legs crossed. To be honest, I kinda liked spending time with her like this. Calm, peaceful, and quiet while feeling like I'm releasing any aspect of negative energy from my body. At first when I started this it got really boring, with nothing to do and in the position that I was in made me fall asleep rather than concentrating.

However, overtime and from having been taught how to maintain focus, I got more relaxed and felt happy while forming a grin on my face.

" _Sis?"_

 _"Yes?"_

 _"I just want to say that doing this with you is nice. And thanks for letting me join you."_

 _"It's no trouble, Kameron. I don't mind a little company through my meditations. And I'm happy to connect with you like this. I've taken lessons through my many years and my teachers have always helped me keep hope alive. Never forget that, please? Always have hope, even in the darkest of times."_

" _I won't forget. Even if things get tough."_

We both then took one last breath through our noses before releasing another exhale from our mouths. When we were finished I opened my eyes to see Azurite sitting in front of me in the same position as I was while showing me a smile as her eyes opened.

I returned it before we both stood up from the ground and started stretching out our arms and legs. The one and only downside to sitting with your legs crossed.

I then looked around at where we were. My sister's room.

Unlike my room that was standard to a normal person, Azurite's was beyond incredible. Each of my brothers and sisters have their own rooms and her's really takes the cake. It didn't even feel like a room, but instead a oasis mountain peak as we were standing on thick stones near a waterfall calmly flowing. She definitely had the biggest room out of anybody.

I then turned my face to look at her...and just before I opened my mouth to speak somebody beat me to the punch.

"Cannonball!" Two loud voices announced.

Just as me and Azurite turned to where the voices came from the both of us got splashed and soaked by a large wave of water. I gasped a few times from where I was standing and raised both of my arms to wipe away the water from my eyes. Ugh. Normally this would okay, but come on, I'm wearing normal clothes and I just took a shower this morning.

I then turned my attention to the lake and saw the culprits who did it.

"Ha, ha, ha. Gotcha!"

"Ha, ha. We got you Kameron. You're all wet."

I narrowed my eyes at them and just before I could speak my mind about what they did I heard someone clear their throat next to me. I turned and saw Azurite standing next to me as soaked as I was.

Her hair was wet and slick and her clothes were also drenched. She then removed her her covering her eyes to the sides and looked over at the culprits with her hands on her hips while narrowing her eyes. That expression always intimidated me since I was little, and the others feel the same effect whenever she gets like this.

"Lepidolite. Citrine." She said while looking at them.

"Y-Yes?" Lepidolite replied a bit nervously.

"Why have the both of you entered my room without permission? I thought we talked about this."

Lepidolite and Citrine frowned a little after she spoke and started swimming toward the edge of the lake before getting out.

"Sorry, Azurite. We did knock a few times on your door and you didn't answer, so Lepidolite just opened the door and thought to see you the 'fun' way." Citrine explained.

She raised an eyebrow before turning to the other culprit. "Is this true?"

"Yes." Lepidolite admitted. "I'm sorry, but it's an emergency."

"What's the emergency?"

"We've got... _'special guests'_ downstairs and they want to talk to all of us."

Special guests? Wonder what she meant by that.

* * *

After drying ourselves off, me and the others went downstairs to the living room. When we got there I noticed my parents and the others talking to strange figures.

The first two were wearing armor suits that were yellow and black with a radiation symbol on their shoulders. They each held a gun to the right side of their bodies and wore helmets to conceal their identities. Just a glance at them at first made me think they were from some comic convention, but I didn't think that was the case.

The third was a man probably in his golden years due to his white hair and wrinkles. He wore a camouflage army clothing and cap with brown boots, but the color of the camouflage was the same as the guys in the armor. He also had his arms behind his back and looked a little intimidating from a view point.

The biggest question right now was who they were and why were they here. I wasn't sure myself since this is my first time seeing them and that alone always made me develop several questions in my head.

"Well... looks like we're all here. Good, because there's so much to discuss." The old guy said with a small grin.

"Why are you here?" Azurite asked sternly as she approached him.

"Don't be like that, Angel. We're not here to cause trouble." He replied while placing his hands up lightly.

"Don't call me that. You know full well that the day we ended our relationship was the day you could no longer call me that."

Relationship? 'Angel'? This all suddenly came out of nowhere.

"Relax. Pyrope here nearly punched me in the face before I even had a chance to speak. You on the other hand are different and would rather talk things out before taking action. Just like the good ol' days."

"How did you even know where we were?" Pyrope asked angerly.

"I had my boys use our satellite to track your location. Afterwards I called your house phone and emo boy over there allowed us to cross through." He explained. "And trust me, it's been a while since I've gone through his portals. Sends shivers down my spine."

Pyrope and Amber sent glares at Onyx.

"Excuse me. Who are you guys anyway?" I asked as I took a step forward.

The old man looked at me and cleared his throat. "Well son, me and boys are from Quarantine. We were close friends of the Rainbow Gems once and helped them take out these monsters that kept popping up around the world. But after a while they left us when things turned...sour. But don't worry, we've continued our work and helped keep Earth safe just like them and those three other women that kept getting in our way."

Quarantine? That was a weird name for them. But hearing that they were helping us take down these monsters kinda placed them in a neutral zone with me. I mean I'm kinda glad that some people are noticing what's going on and taking the initiative to help, but at the same time it's dangerous and could get them killed.

"I'm General Armstrong. Nice to meet ya, son." He said, offering his hand to me.

Armstrong? The only Armstrong I know is Zac, the guy that harassed Chelsea and made me fight him.

Is this guy related to him? No, no, no, I shouldn't make quick assumptions. A lot of people around the world have the same last name, so I shouldn't be too overwhelmed about this. But at the same time I shouldn't just accept that there could be a 50/50 chance that they're related. I just hope that they aren't.

I then looked at his hand and raised my to place it in his before we shook a few times and stopped. "I'm Kameron. Nice to meet you, sir." I said before we retracted our hands from each other.

"A pleasure." He replied to me before turning his attention to Azurite. "Now, Angel. Just listen to me, okay? I didn't just come here to say hello."

"Then why are you and your men here?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

General Armstrong turned around before walking away a few feet from us toward his men before turning back around with his arms behind his back. His grin disappeared and was replaced with a frown. He then looked from side to side before eventually sighing and looked at her in the eye.

"Me and my men are having a major problem up in the arctic. There's a creature up there that appeared from the sea and it's been attacking several villages and small towns, killing anything it sees. The last town it was in was where we faced it and... I lost twenty-five of my men that day while the remaining, including myself, were hospitalized until we've managed to heal up again. Believe me when I say that the thing we fought was as big as a killer whale and we couldn't stop it. No matter how much effort, will, and teamwork we placed in. Which is why we're here. I'm asking- no, begging for your help. I can't have anymore blood on my hands, and I can't tell another family that their father or son had died again. Please. I understand that we don't see eye to eye anymore, but can we try and do this together again?"

As soon as he was done speaking my eyes widened along with Lepidolite and Charoite gasping. Twenty-five people... Villages and towns attacked... I..I couldn't even imagine what that felt like for them. Just hearing this made me slowly ball my fists before I looked at the floor. We've couldn't have know about this, but... why?

I then looked up to look at Azurite and noticed her hands intertwined and placed close to her chest while closing her eyes. Me and the others followed and mirrored what she was doing. Whenever we hear new about death we always offered a prayer and that when they pass, their souls will forever be watched over by the stars.

"Amen." She announced.

"Amen." The rest of us followed.

After we were finished Azurite approached the General, "Armstrong. You have my condolences for your men. As to what you're dealing with, I will go alone and help."

He lightly gasped from her response before nodding.

"Did something happen to the satellite that prevented you from telling us about this?" She asked while turning her head to look at my dad.

"The satellite is okay. The creature that Armstrong mention has been disappearing and reemerging several times, preventing me from tracking it." He explained. "I'm sorry for not mentioning this to you all beforehand."

"It's okay." She replied. "I have something that'll give us the advantage to stop it for good. However I placed it far up north."

"What a coincidence. Me and my men are also up north. We've set up camp there and have trackers that state the creature is somewhere there." The General exclaimed.

If that's where it is, then I want to be there to stop it.

"I'm coming too." I announced, gaining everyone's attention.

"Absolute not! It is way too dangerous and too cold." My mom disapproved.

"I'm going. It may be none of my business, but I'm not gonna sit around while this monster is just lurking through the arctic looking for more people to attack." I replied sternly while raising up my right arm and ripping off my bandages from it with my left hand, revealing my Gem. "I'm a Rainbow Gem too. And I'm not taking 'no' for an answer."

Everyone except Onyx was a bit taken back by my response as I stood here with a determined look on my face. Azurite walked up to me as I placed my hand down while she placed hers on my shoulders.

"Kameron... Are you sure? I agree with your mother, but I want to hear it from you about all of this. This is far different than just a regular mission."

I smirked before replying, "I'm not gonna repeat myself. Besides, you all know me. Never in my life do I back down from anything. And that includes kicking some serious monster butt."

Azurite sigh and showed a small smile. "Very well." She then turned her attention to the General, "Only me and my brother."

"You sure a kid can handle something like this? How'd he even get a Gem on his wrist in the first place?" He questioned.

"I'm positive that he can. As for the second question, I'm afraid you'll have to talk to those two about that." She replied with a small smile while looking at my parents.

* * *

The North Arctic.

The coldest point in the world that's only matched by the South Arctic. It was by far even colder than that.

When we got there I was immediately hit by the cold air hitting my face. It felt pretty good since this was the end of spring, but man did it hit me like the first day of winter. I then looked at my sister for a moment to see that she was still wearing the same clothes she always wears and it made me feel a bit envious. Gems can feel temperature and change their appearances whenever they want, but never change due to weather conditions. So lucky.

"The camp is up ahead. Go find this thing that'll save our asses." General yelled due to the passing winds.

"Very well. Don't do anything until we come back." Azurite replied before going behind me and wrapping her arms around my chest.

"Good luck." He said while giving us a thumbs up before he and his men walked over to the camp.

"Ready to go?" She as I looked back at her.

I nodded before she sprouted her wings and took off into the sky.

In the air the wind a bit heavier, but I placed on my goggles to help as we soared. I couldn't help but release a few chuckles while flying. It made me feel like a little kid again and she would take me with her to touch the sky and feel free. That's what flying means to animals and my sister, freedom to be in the sky without a care in the world and just enjoy yourself.

I then looked down and noticed nothing but blankets of snow and a few mountain peaks. And even though the sun was out, that did not stop the endless snow from coming down. But thankfully it was light, because heavy snow, especially sleets and hail could repeatedly snow bound us and force us to walk several miles for hours.

Thank heaven my sister was here to prevent that. The others couldn't tag along due to avoiding large casualties and because it was better for just the two of us to handle this. That didn't mean that they couldn't help or anything, but whenever missions are told to us by my dad, all of us don't go together unless it's extreme and something that'll need all of us to be there.

"Down there! Do you see it?" Azurite asked.

I snapped out of my thoughts and looked down. When I did I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It looked like a giant ice castle. Literally, the entire structure was made of ice and had a tall tower at the very center; not even words could describe this and it really made me wonder how much time someone put to make this.

Unfortunately, just near the castle I saw two massive creatures with white fur fighting each other. I wasn't sure where they came from, but as they were fighting and exchanging each other's claws I then noticed Gemstones directed on their chests.

"You seeing this?" I asked.

"Apparently so. We'll have to take care of them before going inside." She replied.

"On it. Drop me."

"What? Kameron from this height it might not be wise to-"

"Trust me. I'll be fine. Plus it'll make a killer entrance for me to handle the gray one while you handle the orange one."

I heard her sigh as she released me from the air. As I fell I quickly grabbed my sword from my back and yelled while crashing into the gray monster with a good amount of speed and strength.

 **Azurite**

While my brother was handling himself, I went after the other monster he mentioned.

I dived downwards and clapped my hands before slowly separating them and allowing my weapon to emerge from my Gemstone on my left palm. I then held it in my right hand and as soon as the monstrosity was able to notice my presence I simply attacked him on the forehead.

He was sent to the ground and I gave myself distance from him so he could recover and continue this little cycle. He started to snarl at me before how you say 'revved up his claw' and began to charge. I stood my ground and twirled my staff a few times before hitting the tip on the white ground, causing a small ice column to emerge and making him smash into it.

The creature groaned in pain and attempted to get up, but unfortunately for him, I can't waste anymore time playing this game. I soon flew pass the column and stabbed the beast in the forehead. He screamed and cried out in pain until his body went limp and he poofed.

Once his Gem hit the ground I picked it up and bubbled it before sending it away. I then turned to see how Kameron was doing and to my surprise he was already done and just held the bubble in his hand for me to see before sending it away.

"Well, that oughta be a warm up for what's coming." He said as he placed his sword on his back while approaching me. "By the way, is there a chance you know the person who made this giant castle?"

I softly giggled while covering my mouth with my left hand. "You're looking at her."

He then dropped his jaw from my response. The expression he was displaying was utterly priceless that I couldn't help but giggle once more.

"You are by far the coolest Gem that I've ever met." He said. I couldn't help but feel my cheeks radiate from his comment. A thousand years with a lot of time on your hands can really give you the opportunity to occupy it in various ways.

"Thank you. Now, let us go it. We mustn't keep ourselves distracted." I replied before walking toward the door as he followed.

It certainly has been a long time since I've been here and this place hasn't aged a day. It may have been due to the weather conditions, but it still looks brand new, like I just created it, and now I'm showing it to my own little brother.

It still brings us joy and hope that he considers us with these titles and to this day I can never forget when he first called us that.

* * *

I placed my left hand on the door and as I did it began to glow for a moment until it started opening up. We went inside and as we walked the door behind us slammed shut, only startling us slightly before we continued on.

Through the halls everything was made of ice, even the ground which made me warn Kameron to be careful when taking his steps. I heard him shiver up a bit as this place is far colder than outside, which in my defense I blame myself ever since I came here to think and wonder about the future.

Up ahead a light was shining from above. When we walked toward it I looked up and covered my eyes from the blinding light.

"Geez, did you bring a big light bulb in here or something?" Kameron asked.

"It's just the sun refracting it's rays to illuminate our surrounding. Grab on, we're going up." I replied.

He asked why before I asked him again. He then wrapped his arms around my waist as I sprouted my wings and took flight.

The only direction we had was straight up, and as Kameron held onto me I gave out another flap for an extra boost. Then as we got closer and closer we then entered a massive room filled with not just ice, but large icicles on the ceiling and on the floor to the sides. More than that was my statues. When we landed and he released me I slowly walked forward and was in awe to see them again.

"Untouched...and still the way I left them." I said quietly.

"Azurite, who are they?" Kameron asked.

I turned my head to look at him from my left and responded, "Friends from a previous life. I made them to remember their appearances and to remember the Gem I use to be."

He then looked at me, looking a bit concerned, "you miss them, don't you?" He asked.

I nodded and looked back at them.

" _My friends were all that I had. Even though I wasn't that great as a Gem, I still did my best and it wasn't good enough for her."_

 _"_ Don't blame yourself. You only had one slight difference from the others. You avoided a terrible fate and met me, creating something entirely different."

 _"I know. And I wouldn't change the past for the better, but even though what happened was the result of us, do you believe there could have been another way?"_

"I won't lie and say that there wasn't. Believe me, if there was any other way than what he unleashed, then things would be different. We just have to acknowledge what we have done and accept it. Then believe that things will get better for us all."

" _I still believe."_

"I as well."

Suddenly I felt someone shaking me, causing me to break from my thoughts before I turned my attention to him.

"Are you okay? You looked kinda zoned out a bit." He asked.

"Yes. I'm alright." I replied. "Look over there. That's what we're looking for." I added while pointing forward.

He turned to my direction to see it. My shield. It was as big as a human torso, but more importantly I was happy to see that it was still in good condition ever after all these years.

I then flew up to retrieve it. I then flew back to Kameron and we both started heading out to go meet up with Quarantine at their camp.

* * *

 **Kameron**

As we were flying back to the camp I held my sister's shield in my left hand and made sure my grip on it was tight enough.

I never knew she had a shield, but thinking about it now, it kinda fits with her as she's always more defensive in a fight and attacks at the right moment. And even if I think a simple shield can't do much, she always shows that a weapon no matter the size or appearance always has capabilities. You just need to find out what it is when the time comes.

Soon after, we then arrived at the camp and walked toward the central tent to speak with the General. Inside there was him and a few soldiers. Some were resting while the others were sitting on their beds while inspecting their weapons. The General himself was standing next to a soldier who was working on a computer. Probably using it to locate the monster if possible.

"There you two are. You managed to find what you're looking for?" The General said as he turned and noticed us.

We nodded as he turned his attention to the shield. "Seriously? This is what's going to help us?" He added with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes. It doesn't look like much to you, but believe me, my shield will help us in this situation." Azurite replied.

"With all due respect, Angel, I think it's gonna take more than just defense to give us a advantage."

"My shield is all we need." She stated strongly. "Have you located the whereabouts of the creature?"

"We have." He replied before turning around and walked toward the soldier working at the computer. "This brave and smart gentlemen here has been using our tech to locate any abnormal energy sources through the arctic. Since your 'kind', no offense, have energy within yourselves, we've been able to track it using pulse sensors. And so far we've found one location." He added while pointing at the radar and a blinking light started flashing northwest.

"Okay, if that's where the monster is then let's go stop it." I said.

"Whoa there, son, we need to come up with a plan first beforehand." The General replied.

"We can think of one when we get there."

The General then smirk at me before looking at my sister, "Just like me when I was his age. You've got yourself a strong fighter, Angel."

"Be that as it may, he can be a handful sometimes." She replied while lightly rubbing my head, making me groan a little while averting my eyes to the side.

* * *

We then started heading off and began traveling to the location on the radar. Me and my sister took flight while the General and his men took a helicopter.

Eventually we made it to the location. The edge of the North Arctic, where beyond is nothing more than freezing water.

When Azurite released me I took a look around as Quarantine was landing. Since he told us that the monster has been attacking villages and towns from the sea it's only natural for it to be in a area where there's plenty of water.

When my sister approached me I handed her her shield, but then as held it in her hand she looked back at me and gave it back.

"It's yours now, Kameron." She told me.

I was a bit surprised that she was handing me this. "But...it's yours, sis. I already have my sword and I shouldn't have the right to just take what doesn't belong to me." I added.

"I insist. Sure, you do have your sword, but a good offense always needs a good defense as well. Plus there's one last thing I need you to do." She replied.

I wondered what it was before turned her neck and showed me her Gemstone while pointing at it. I then thought for a brief moment and realized what she wanted me to do. I looked at me right hand and back at her neck before using my teeth to remove my glove, revealing my bare hand and placing the glove in my pocket.

I then pointed out my index finger and placed it on her Gemstone. Then a few seconds later a bright green glow began to emit from my Gemstone before it suddenly change from green to blue. The light then began to fade, and I removed my finger from her and looked at my Gem shown in a different color. Then suddenly the shield that I was wielding in my left hand started emitting a light blue glow from it's center.

As I looked at it in awe I turned to my sister and was about to ask her what was going on. But before I could open my lips to speak a nearby voice interrupted me.

"Alright then. Do you both agree with what we're about to-" He suddenly stopped as he looked at the shield. "What in blueberry's is goin' on here?"

"Our advantage." My sister replied before she sprouted her wings and took flight toward the freezing seas.

I looked back at the shield as it was still glowing and raised it up while using my other hand to bring out my sword. Sword and shield; the way a warrior fights, and what knights wielded in battle. I then stood my ground and got prepared for what ever was coming while the General went back to the helicopter.

My sister then dived into the waters. We then waited and in dead silence the only thing I could hear were the wind and the water flowing. Then out of nowhere my sister resurfaced and she did not come out alone.

Large tentacles burst out and attempted to grab her, but she dodged each and every one while flying back to us. As she was doing this the creature retracted it's tentacles and jumped straight of the water, revealing it's appearance. It's face was down right disturbing and it had razor sharp teeth with yellow eyes. It's body was dark gray and as it reentered the water I noticed six tentacles, three on each side and the remains of it's body almost resembled that of a killer whale.

When my sister got close to us the monster resurfaced again, and as it looked at us it released a screeching roar. I nearly had to cover my ears from the sound of it.

When it stopped it raised it's tentacles and launched them straight at me. On impulse I raised my shield and was then pushed back with intense force. This kept going until I tripped and fell on my back, groaning a bit while attempting it get back up.

"OPEN FIRE! DO IT NOW!" The General yelled.

I looked back at him and two soldiers came out with what looked like RPGs. They both quickly kneeled and fire off twin rockets, which caused me and Azurite to duck and move. I then looked at the rockets and they suddenly broke off, showing two large nets with electricity surging through them. They soon attached themselves onto the creature, severely shocking it and making it scream it pain and agony as it moved it's head around while flipping it's tentacles all around.

Taking my chance as I took a quick glance at her in the sky, I started running with my weapons in hand before leaping into the air and getting caught by her as she held me while we flew straight at our target. She then released me as I dived from the air. However, when it saw me from it's remaining eye it launched another tentacle. I used my shield and blocked it, sending me father into the air.

 _Can't...let...this thing...win. All those people... I won't let their deaths and suffering be ignored._

As I struggled my shield suddenly started glowing again before releasing a blast of ice that began freezing the tentacle. I then flipped over it and began sliding down using the shield as a sled and continuously freezing the tentacle before raising my sword and chopping it off. The monster screamed and I soon jumped off it's sliced tentacle and aimed my shield at it's eye, firing off a beam of ice and blinding him.

My sister then went to go finish the job while I instantly fell into the freezing waters.

Due to the rapid speed I couldn't quickly swim back up, so I was left with only one option to save myself.

 _This really sucks..._

* * *

"Kameron? Are you alright?" A mumbled voice asked.

I slowly opened my eyes before quickly opening them and gasping.

"Hey, it's okay. Take a breath."

I turned to where the voice came from and noticed my sister next to me. I then looked around and saw that I was home again. Weird, and I was in my room sitting in my bed while wearing pajamas.

"What ha-ha-ha- *achoo*" I asked before sneezing into my elbow.

"We've managed to defeat the monster. However after I was done handling it you popped up in a giant frozen block. It took Pyrope an hour to thaw you out." She explained.

 _Yeah. Last thing I remember was freezing myself._

I then sneezed again before sucking it up and groaning. "Great. Just when we win I end up catching a cold."

"Well... at least you're still alive. And I've placed your weapons near your closet after healing you up." She replied.

I looked at her and smiled as she then placed a hand on my head and softly rubbed my hair.

Just then a unexpected person suddenly phased through my door. We both looked at her and I could not believe what she was wearing. A small white hat on her head with a red cross at the center of it, a white buttoned jacket that looked a bit tight around her waist, and a small white skirt similar to Azurite's along with white flat shoes.

"Hello there, Kameron. I'm going to be your nurse until you get better, okay?" She told me while giving us a wink and swifted her long bang slightly.

I could only stare at her for a moment while my body started to tense up a bit and my left eye twitching slightly.

"Well, I guess I should be going now. Rest up, little brother." Azurite said before kissing my cheek and leaving the two of us alone.

I sighed before looking over at my 'nurse'. "Okay, Charoite. Just please ease up on the teasing, okay?"

"You mean like _this?"_ She replied with a sly grin as she placed her hands on her jacket while slowly unbuttoning it.

I looked away as she began using her 'charm' on me.

 _I hope my cold heals up fast._

 **End of Chapter 4.**

 **Apologizes for keeping you all waiting.**

 **I would also like to mention that the Crystal Gems, Steven, and some canon character will appear in my story, just now right now, okay.**

 **Please be patient because I want to focus more on the Rainbow Gems first before introducing the others.**

 **I hope you all understand. And I hope you all enjoyed this.**

 **Thank you.**


	5. Limits

Chapter 5: Limits

Here we were again. Face to face. Seeing eye to eye without a flinch or showing signs of hesitation. One of my most effect and personal types of training me and my brother Pyrope like to endure: Combat Practice.

"So, brother. Are we gonna go this or just have a staring contest all day?" He asked with crossed arms.

I smirked from his words before cracking my neck and knuckles. "Ready when you are."

He formed a smile across his lips. He then leaned his body down slowly before instantly dashing straight at me. He raised a fist at me and it hit me on my left cheek hard, then with added force he pushed forward and knocked me forward through the arena we were in.

I crashed on the ground and flopped onto my stomach as my body stopped itself. To be fair I didn't expect him to attack that quick, but at the same time I should've known better. He's done this several times and I always fall for it. Well now, it's time to even the score.

I started raising myself up while narrowing my eyes at him. He glared at me and was ready for whatever I had to dish out. I started running toward him just as he began toward me, and as we got in close range I threw the first punch straight at his jaw.

I added in another and few more until and I spun around and roundhouse kicked his chest. He tumbled back few feet from me before I dashed forward and uppercut his chin, sending him in midair and making him land hard on his back. As I watched him I waited for him to get up and made sure to be prepared by keeping my fists up to guard and counterattack.

A few seconds later Pyrope quickly jumped up and without a second thought punched me in the stomach. I gawked from the amount of force he placed into it and felt paralyzed, however that didn't even come close to what I was expecting next. He threw rapid jabs at my jaws back and forth showing no signs of mercy to me, as if I wanted him too. Then after at least the seventh punch he spun himself around and kicked the left side of my skull, causing me to spin for a brief moment until I fell.

I groaned a little as my body was shaking a bit while I tried to get up. As I did he grabbed my head and slammed it back onto the concrete. He repeated this action a few times until he raised me up onto my knees, allowing me to get a glimpse of him despite the pain I was feeling.

"That's it? Is this really all you've got?" He asked firmly.

I could only growl at him while giving out a glare.

"Oh? You want some more?! HUH?!"

He pulled out his available fist and threw it at my face. Just as it was about to make contact I instantly grabbed his wrist. I won't let him get me again. I won't be weak. I have to be just as strong.

I balled up my other hand into a fist and sent it straight to his face. Then I quickly stood up and ran to him, kneeing him in the stomach and elbowing his forehead.

I gritted my teeth and narrowed my eyes as my brother looked at me with the same type of rage after he recovered. We weren't mad at each other. There wasn't any conflict between us. We were just angry and filled with rage just to let it all out. This is how we communicate the most instead of just using words. No words, no reasons, just instinct and throwing all logic out the stupid window.

"AAAHH!" I screamed from the top of my lungs.

"AAAAAHHH!" He returned just as loud.

We then ran toward each other as fast as we could before leaping into the air. When we got close we both raised our fists and striked towards each other as hard as we could while continuing our screams.

It felt like a large mallet or even a stacks hitting me in the face. The impact felt strong, but not too strong to kill me, that was our only rule as well as no weapons, just our fists.

I felt my vision becoming blurry when I fell back down. I felt myself flopping until I stopped and I couldn't even move. Everything was numb, but the least I could do was grow a smile as I laid my head on the concrete while closing my eyes.

 _Thanks for the fight, brother._

* * *

I felt my eyes starting to open as I groaned a little. When they fully opened I noticed a familiar face looking at me from upside down. She was smiling at me as I felt her hands rubbing my face.

"Did you have a nice nap?" She asked caringly.

"Y...Yeah. I did." I replied before slowly raising myself up.

I rubbed my eyes and noticed the rest of my family around me. I then saw Pyrope stretching his arms while coming up to me and offering his hand. I looked at him for a moment before turning to his hand and accepting it, allowing him to pull me up.

"Glad to see you can still take a punch." He commented as we gripped our hands together before separating them.

"I learned from the best." I replied with a grin.

"Damn straight. I didn't train you for nothin'."

I chuckled a bit from that before we turned to the others.

"*Sigh* why do you have to be so rough to each other?" My mom asked.

"'Cause I didn't want him to be a wuss. I'm not always gonna be around for him and he needed to grow a backbone." Pyrope implied with crossed arms.

"Still, you shouldn't be so angry at each other." Azurite stated.

"You can heal him up. I ain't gonna kill even if I wanted too."

"That's not what I meant. It's okay to feel rage, but it's what you do with it that matters the most."

"Guys." I announced. "We get it. But the training me and him go through isn't as interesting unless we get a bit rough. We're not gonna go too far unless we actually get under each other skins."

"I second that." Amber said.

"But-" My mom said before my dad placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Christie. Let the boys be who they are. I've known Pyrope for a long time and despite his rage and aggressive nature he is caring. Kameron can handle him." He assured with a smile.

My mom could only sigh in defeat.

Everyone then went silent until I decided to break it, "So, how about I get some doughnuts for breakfast. Anyone up?"

"Doughnuts!" Citrine and Lepidolite cheered in agreement.

"Sounds nice, son. Do you need any money?" My dad asked.

"No thanks. I've got some. Let me just shower and I'll go." I replied as I walked away.

* * *

 **Pyrope**

After Kameron left I decided to call it a day and head back, but just as I was about to do that I felt something touch my shoulder. I looked over and noticed who it was and let me tell ya, the look in her eye really annoys me.

"Can I have a moment alone with you?" She asked firmly but calmly.

I groaned a bit before giving her a nod, "Fine. Not like we've been over this a million times already."

* * *

I followed her back to her room. It was still looking pretty nice with all the cherry blossom trees and the sun setting over the horizon. I can only guess what the topic of our conversation was going to be and see where it goes. I just couldn't wait a single moment of this.

We approached a small table and she walked around it before kneeling down and sat on her knees. She gestured her hand as I sat down in front of her with my legs crossed.

"Pyrope. We've known each other for years and during those years I've always watched your actions carefully. You're strong. You're brave. However, you're also filled with so much rage and anger that can't be understood. I want to know why. Why are so angry all the time?" She asked calmly.

"You already know the answer to that, ninja girl." I replied while crossing my arms.

"I do, but I want to hear it from you."

"It's just how I am. Ever since I was brought into existence I've always been this way. Even when the seven of us left her and after all that we've been through I'm still pissed, and I have every right to be!"

"I know, and I'm not saying you don't. Your rage is earned, but I just want you to be careful with it. That's all I wanted to say and we're here for you if you need to get something off your chest instead of just using your fists."

"You know I'm not that much of a talker."

"True, but try. Christie worries for Kameron and I'm not going against what his father said. I'm just as concerned for you as I am to him."

I closed my eyes and thought about this.

 _Sometimes I really wish I didn't have to sit through these lectures. My rage is mine alone and only I can understand it. It's pure, controllable when I want it to be, and deserving to those that want a good fight._

I felt my eyes open to look at her again. "I'll give it a try Char, but I'm gonna make any promises."

She grew a small smile before standing up and walked over to my side. I stood up too before she placed her chest against mine and wrapped her arms around my waist. I tensed up a bit and adverted my eyes. It's not that I didn't like getting a hug from her or Lepidolite, but they really aren't my thing.

"Okay, Charoite that's enough." I said as I lightly pushed her away.

"Aww, don't like my hugs chili pepper?" She asked with her _usual_ tone.

"It's not that I don't, it's just..."

Before I could come up with an answer she patted my shoulder and gave me a wink. "You don't need to say anything. I'll just let you be, alright?"

I rolled my eyes and nodded before walking away. As much as I care for her, I ain't gonna be walking hug magnet like Citrine or Kameron.

* * *

Just as I walked out of her room I came across another familiar face.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I'm alright. What's up? Anything going on?" I replied.

"Yes. Just as the rest of us came back I when down to the basement and heard an alarm. Think you can handle it?"

"Who do you think you're talking to?"

He chuckled from my response, "Right, I forgot. And is it alright if my son goes with you? It's been a while since he's been with his brothers on a mission."

"Sure. Let me go get him. I'm positive it doesn't take this long to just get a box of doughnuts." I said as I walked away.

"We live two miles away from Beach City, Pyrope."

I suddenly froze from hearing that. "Oh... right, I forgot."

* * *

 **Kameron**

Beach City. A simple town with one of the best beaches in the world. It's nothing special, but whenever I come here I get these vibes that makes me just go with the flow and relax. As the wind blew through my body I couldn't help but smile as I peddled onward and made my way toward the most iconic convenience store: The Big Doughnut.

When I got there and parked my bike to the side. Before I went in I noticed a familiar face sitting at one of the outside tables typing on his laptop. He had blonde hair, glasses, wore a red tropical shirt with few flowers on it, khaki shorts, and sandals. I've seen him around school and in class a few times. We're not really close just casual friends and some of my classmates call him 'weird' but I still think he's okay, you know, we all have our own little worlds that nobody can really get or figure out unless we tell them.

"Hey Ronaldo." I announced as I approached him.

He turned to my direction and grew a smile, "Hello Kameron. It's nice to see you."

"So, what's going on? What have you been up to?"

"Nothing much. Just updating my website 'Keep Beach City Weird'. Have you heard of it?"

I thought about for a moment until it came back to me. "Yeah. You're doing a blog about all the weird stuff that's going on?"

"Exactly. I'm searching for the truth. I've hypothesized several theories on what's been happening. I know it might sound crazy to you but I think it's the real deal. I even have a few followers on my blog and we're even discussing over expanding our theories worldwide. Would you like to see?"

I nodded as I looked over his shoulder and looked at his research. I haven't been in town for a while so in a while this can help catch up on what's been going on. I looked at the images he took pictures of and some pictures his followers took or found from all over the world. When I got a closer look at each of them I couldn't help but get intrigued, however... I can already take a guess on how all of this happened.

"So what do you think?" Ronaldo asked.

I looked at him and saw his smile. Guilt started to take over as I wasn't sure what to say. It's not okay to lie to your friends, but at the same time I didn't want to make all of his work go to waste. I had to say something to him though, so I had to think of a good response.

"It's...pretty well thought out, Ronaldo."

"Really? Thanks. I've been spending endless nights figuring it out. I know what's really going on and people need to know."

 _Yeah. Just let him have this and eventually he'll understand the real truth. I just hope it doesn't crush him too much._

Just before I could say something else I felt something hit me in the forehead causing me to tumble back a bit while trying to focus my balance.

"You okay?" Ronaldo asked with a concerned tone.

Whatever hit me it had a decent amount of force in it. I placed a hand on my forehead and rubbed it a few times with vision clearing up a little. I then looked down and saw an object in front of my feet, a football.

"Hey Foresthead!"

That voice. The same voice that makes my blood boil to the brink. It could only belong to only one guy.

I turned my attention from the football as I picked it to see three guys walking toward us. Zac, Mike, and Daniel. What an unexpected surprise.

"Nice catch, twerp. You've really got a good head there." Zac taunted.

"Ha, ha. Whatever." I replied as I gave him his ball back.

"Guess what Foresthead? We aren't on school grounds right now, which means no chicks or principals around to save you and this doesn't go against our agreement we've made."

"Don't you have anything better to do than just mess with me. I can't be the only thing that satisfies your time."

He smirked from that before raising his available hand and giving it a snap. Then Mike and Daniel walked up to us and dragged Ronaldo away from his laptop.

"Hey stop! Let me go!" Ronaldo cried out.

I watched this and gritted my teeth, but I'm gonna resort to the second option to settle this. Last time I did he got what he deserved, but now that we're in public I've got to use my head more.

"Let him go Zac, he's got nothing to do with this."

"Yeah, he doesn't. However let me see what's on this beauty." He said as he went over to the laptop. "'Keep Beach City Weird'? The truth is here? Learn about the secrets of our town? Pssh, how lame. I wonder what'll happen if I delete it?"

"Stop! That's my life's work. Everyone needs to know the truth!" Ronaldo pleaded with Mike and Daniel holding his arms tightly.

Zac then pressed a button and from his expression he didn't what Ronaldo said. "Oops. I guess no-one is gonna find the truth."

My blood started boiling even hotter as I gritted my teeth more. I balled up my fists and narrowed my eyes as I felt my pupils shrinking. This guy needs to be put in his place.

"HEY! STOP IT!" I called out as I stepped forward and pushed Zac away from Ronaldo's laptop.

"Good to see that backbone of yours. Whatcha gonna do now?"

He is SO asking for it. I've had enough of him. I raised my arm and threw it straight at his face, but just before it could make contact I saw a hand grabbing my wrist and stopping my momentum. I looked over to see who stopped me and my eyes widened a bit from see him of all people.

"Cool your jets, Kameron." He told me while lowering my arm.

I yanked it out of his grasp and looked away from him. Why? Why did he stop me?

"And who are you punk?" Zac asked with a raised eyebrow.

I looked over and I saw Pyrope punch Zac straight in the face without any hesitation. I then looked over to Ronaldo and my brother growled at his captives. They instantly released him and went over to grab Zac before leaving the area.

"Are you okay?" I asked as I approached Ronaldo.

"Physically, yes. Mentally, yes. Emotionally...no." He replied before walking over to his laptop and closing it before placing it under his arm. "Looks like I'll have to start all over again."

He then walked away with a frown and gloomy eyes. My eyes averted from feeling bad for him. I should've done something sooner. I then balled my fists again as tightly as I could before a hand was placed on my shoulder. I then turned my attention to my brother.

"You okay?"

I knocked away his hand. "I could've handled that. I didn't need your help."

"Not from what I was seeing. The look in your eyes said otherwise."

Before I could say anything else I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before exhaling from my mouth. "What was I suppose to do?"

"As much as I wanted to watch you beat the pulp of those clowns, I saw that you wanted to do more than that. I trained you to be a fighter, not a killer."

I wanted to open my mouth and respond to that. But when I was about to I suddenly stopped. I couldn't just say 'I wasn't going to kill him' because I didn't know what the outcome would've been if my punch did hit Zac. I couldn't think at the moment and...I just couldn't take it anymore.

"You're right."

"And I guess that was Zac Armstrong, huh?"

I nodded.

"The guy is a jerk alright. Listen, we've got a mission, but before that how about we get those doughnuts you were going to get."

"Okay."

The both of us then walked inside and bought what I came for. Lars and Sadie watched what was going on outside and from seeing my expression they didn't spark up any long conversations and was just glad to see that me or Ronaldo didn't get hurt.

* * *

After getting home and chowing down on some doughnuts me and Pyrope went on our mission. We decided not to tell the others about what happened at the Big Doughnut mostly to avoid more lectures and making them worry so much.

Onyx opened up a portal and the both of us jumped through it to get to our destination. When we arrived I looked around and noticed a lot of trees surrounding us. Bird chirps could be heard in the air along with sun beaming down on us. I covered my eyes with one hand as I looked up to see the sun and not only that but the temperature was blazing. I felt sweaty and my body was getting grilled.

"Man, it's like walking into a fireplace."

"C'mon, at least it's better than freezing to death in the arctic."

He had a point, but that didn't make me feel better as we started walking forward.

"So, what's today's mission?"

"There's a creature lurking in these jungles. The locals are scared and it's been going on a deadly path of violence. Taking out anything it sees. Animals, insects, even people."

"Anything else my dad mentioned?"

That's pretty much it. I wanted you to come with me so we could handle it together."

"Really? I thought you were much of a loner like Onyx."

"Let's just say I've done some thinking for once and I'd say this is a perfect way to really let out your anger. Taking it out on a monster."

I wasn't sure what to say and clearly this wasn't my brother from earlier, but I can think about that later.

Just then a squelch sound erupted from my ears making me freeze in place. I then slowly looked down at what I stepped in and widened my eyes. I then slowly removed my foot from it and jogged a bit to catch up with Pyrope. We then crossed through a barricade of leaves before making it toward a large area with the most horrific things that laid right in front of us.

"Wow. Whatever this beast is it's just as savage as I am."

"Yeah. I've seen you fight and you mostly go after monsters that explode without spilling blood."

Before I could hear him speak again we both heard something rupture through the bushes. Taking caution I pulled out my sword while my brother summoned his double edged axe. Amber has her dual revolvers, Azurite has her staff, but when Pyrope pulls out his axe he doesn't show any sense or logic when he uses it.

Out of the bushes came a roar before a figure landed right in front of us. It looked like a massive tiger. It had two large fangs originating from it's upper jaws, it's fur was orange and brown, it's eyes were hazel and intimidating, and it had a Gem located on it's right cheek. Lastly it looked like there was a small amount of blood around it's mouth which made me feel uneasy at first glance.

"Looks like we found our prey." Pyrope said with a grin. "Here kitty, kitty, why don't you be a good girl and kneel so we can put you in a bubble."

I looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Is he really using words for this?

The creature snarled at us before pouncing and tackling me to the ground. I used my sword against it's teeth while struggling to making it get off of me. I managed to use my upper body strength to push it forward and off of me just as my my brother stepped in and kicked it in the stomach from the side. It rolled over before stopping on it's feet and charged at him. Pyrope swung his axe and the beast caught it with it's mouth and pulled it away from him.

It tossed his axe aside and pounced again to attack with it's claws. I stepped in again and blocked with my sword. Then I pushed it back and a thought just came to me. It was crazy and would make this a lot harder than it has to be, but it'll make this more interesting by the minute. "Hey Pyrope. How about we handle this without weapons. You in?" He raised an eyebrow from what I just asked him and looked over at his axe. But just as I placed my sword back behind me the beast tackled me.

It raised it's left paw and attempted to scratch my eyes out, but before it could do so I used my powers to crystallize my face. I closed my eyes from the impact and reopened them to see the beast through glass vision. Grabbing it's other paw just as it was going to attack again I headbutted it in the mouth and causing to tumble back so I could punch it in the face. My punch made it get knocked down before I turned back to see my brother standing there.

"What's up? You don't usually use words whenever you start a fight."

"I was just thinking a bit."

"You don't think. You rely more on your instincts and rage then that. Thinking is more in my departure. Besides, how about we both end this together the only way you know how."

He widened his eyes at me and grinned as I reverted my face to normal. I then placed my right hand on his left shoulder where his Gem was and mine glowed before changing into the same color as his. We then glared at each other and turned our attention to our real problem. The beast then looked at us and released a loud angry growl. It came running toward us again and as it pounced we vomited fire from our mouths and pushed it back down.

When it tried to get up we didn't give it a chance and vomited more flames on it while screaming as loud and furiously as we could. Our attack was working as the beast was screaming in pain, but we didn't care. Then after when felt like five minutes we stopped and my brother called his axe back before slashing at it's face. The monster then poofed and Pyrope bubbled it's Gem before sending it away.

"I feel much better now." He said after wiping his mouth.

I started coughing up a bit while holding my throat. "Ugh, yeah. Me too."

"Ouch. I forgot, whenever you do that too your throat gets sore."

"Man... *coughing* I should've remembered that too."

Good news: We stopped a tiger. Bad news: My throat is sore. I guess what Azurite said was true, rage can have major consequences. Sucky consequences.

 **End of Chapter 5.**

 **I'm so sorry for taking so long everyone. I've been busy as of late and I couldn't get back into this as much as I wanted to. Please forgive me.**

 **Also here is where Kameron's mom has her name revealed. Christie Evans.**

 **His father's name will come in time. I promise.**

 **And lastly before I go I wanted to tell you all that I write down a chapter first before typing it in. This is one of the main reasons why it takes me so long, but it's because I want to make it on paper first before putting it out here.**

 **Hope you all are well and keep on doing what you do best. :)**


	6. The Search

Chapter 6: The Search

 _Sleep. One of the most relaxing ways of life. The sound of silence, laying in your bed covered in a blanket and your head resting on a pillow, and nothing to think about except endless peace. This is also a great way to rejuvenate your energy, allowing the body to rest and empty your thoughts until there's absolutely nothing to think about._

 _Sometimes I'm a bit envious that the others don't really need this, but ironically they do get exhausted. At least they do try to sleep once in a while, you know, to regain their strengths and ease any tension they're having. But right now, I'm gonna just drift into the sea of slumber. Only downside: Gotta wake up in the morning._

Suddenly I felt my body vibrating. I shot open my eyes and quickly raised myself up, feeling the vibrations. I looked around and my room was shaking violently while I heard car alarms blasting from not just the garage, but from outside.

I Instantly got up and my body started wobbling as I went straight to my door. Under normal circumstances this would be the part where I go find a safe place to hide and wait until it stops, but earthquakes like this don't just pop up randomly. My neighborhood isn't near any fault lines and there isn't a volcano near us either, so that only leaves me with one other explanation.

I exited my room and went down stairs while watching my step and keeping myself close to the wall. As I descended I started hearing someone crying and releasing loud sobs. Curiosity kept me going as when I got to the final step I tiptoed a few steps further and when I got to a corner and peeked my head out. There, my eyes widened before I closed them and sighed while shaking my head a few times from seeing the cause of the aftershocks.

I then walked out of corner and over to him as my body wobbled again. "CITRINE!" I yelled.

In a instant, He heard me, which in turn made the aftershocks stop. Once they did a few picture frames from the walls dropped along with the bookshelf. Luckily the ceiling fan was kept intact due to the extra nails placed in it and the TV. More importantly, why is my brother here and the reason for causing this much ruckus? Time to find out.

"Citrine. Why are causing an aftershock?!"

He started sniffling a bit while rubbing the tears from his eyes. "My... My..." He murmured.

Just as I was about to ask him again, more over from being irritated and grumpy, the lights to the living room came on. I quickly covered my eyes with my right arm and grunted a little from getting blinded. Once my sight was cleared I turned around and saw my parents and the rest of my siblings. Each of them had crazy frazzled hair and irritated expressions, clearly from being waken up.

My mom then brought out her car keys as the alarm was still blaring and with just one click of a button she was able to shut it off. Thank the heavens for that. "WHAT. IS. GOING. ON. HERE." She asked sternly.

I then turned to Citrine who had his lips trembling while his eyes where watering again. My mom took notice of this and sighed, then approached him and placed a hand on his arm while caressing it. "Shh. Calm down, honey. It's okay." She added caringly.

He sniffled again and wiped away the tears from his eyes again. Once he was finished having his moment, Citrine looked down at the floor with a frown.

"Have ya calm yourself?" Amber asked.

He looked at her and nodded slowly.

"Now, would ya mind telling us why you were making the whole neighborhood dance?" Pyrope asked.

"I... I...lost it. I can't find it anywhere." He replied.

"Find what if I may question?" Azurite asked.

"My...hammer. I lost my hammer."

I immediately cocked an eyebrow after he explained his reasons. To be honest, this was absolutely ridiculous. However, this wouldn't be the first time my brother got upset over losing something that belonged to him.

"Seriously? You're a Gem. Can't you just, oh I don't know, summon out another hammer?" Pyrope said.

"I don't want another hammer. I want MY hammer." Citrine replied.

"What's the difference?"

"I had it during the big war. It's just as big as me. And beautiful."

I myself wouldn't really call a hammer 'beautiful', but then again, this is Citrine we're dealing with.

"Okay. Citrine, if it makes you feel better, how about your brothers and sisters help you find your hammer tomorrow?" My mom asked him.

He then looked at all of us. "Would you all help me?"

"Sure. If it means you won't be causing anymore aftershocks, then we'll help you find your weapon." Charoite replied.

"I have early release tomorrow, so after I'm done with school I'll pitch in too." I added.

"Fine." Pyrope added.

"I'll help too." Lepidolite added.

"I accept as well." Onyx concluded.

Citrine smiled lightly from our responses. He then picked himself up from the puddled floor and started walking toward us. At that moment I expected him to bring us all in for a family hug, but instead he walked right passed us toward the kitchen.

"Uh...what are you doing big guy?" I asked.

"Food. Gonna get some." He answered.

"Wait! Citrine I just went to the store last night." My mom cried out as she went after him.

 _There goes my breakfast in the morning._

 _"_ I'll go check on the neighborhood. Everybody, go back to bed." My dad informed as he exited the house.

* * *

The next morning I had to ask my dad to take me to school. Seriously, Citrine needs to take more care of his stuff and NOT wake everybody up at 2:00 a.m. It's so not worth it.

When I got there and went inside the building my eyes were heavy and I yawned almost every ten seconds. As I walked I noticed a few other people exhausted and grumpy, giving me irritated stares as I threw some back to them. I then yawned again, however as I did I suddenly collided into something and tripped forward. "Ugh. Sorry, I wasn't paying attention. I-"

I immediately stopped talking as soon as I looked at who I bumped into. I looked at her as she looked at me without talking either. Her face looked flustered and as I saw it I looked down and my eyes widened from what my left hand had touched. I then instantly removed it and quickly got off of her. "I-I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to place it there. Here, let me help you up."

I quickly stood up and offered my hand to her. She looked at it and my face before accepting it and letting me pull her up to her feet. "Are you okay?"

"I'm alright. It's Kameron, right?" She asked as she dusted off her shirt and pants.

"Yeah. And your Scarlett?"

"That's my name. Listen, I gotta go find my ex and I'm pretty sure he'd be mad if he caught what you just did, tiger."

"T-That was an accident."

"Yeah, keep saying that. Catch ya later, kay?"

I nodded as she walked passed me and winked at me. I felt my face get warm, but then I started shaking it as I walked off. _It was just an accident. That's all, nothing more._

I then went to my locker to get my books, and to be honest I wasn't really feeling like putting up a new image on my graffiti wall. I stared at it for a moment until I ultimately took a breath and exhaled through my nose while pulling out a gray marker. I doodled a bit before putting the marker back and closing the door once I got what I needed. As soon as I turned around I jumped slightly from seeing the two people standing behind me.

Looking at them I couldn't help but feel guilt coming into my chest. My brother was at fault on this, but since he's apart of my family I couldn't help but feel like I caused the earthquakes too. Their frazzled hair, their bagged eyes, it already spelled grumpy.

"You two have seen better days."

"No thanks to that stupid tremor last night." Chelsea replied as then began walking to class.

"Ugh. Just when I was finished making preparations for the upcoming bake sale to help raise money, this happens after I fell asleep." Angela complained.

"It's like waking up to a Monday morning, huh?" I asked.

"No, it's like waking up for boot camp." Angela replied. "I need my eight hours, Kameron. I'm not so likable when I'm grumpy, especially now."

"I'll try not to get on your bad side. For now, let's just try and get through the day. Agreed?"

"Agreed." Both replied.

* * *

For the rest of the day the only real major challenge everyone had to face was staying awake. Water from the fountains helped out a bit, but it still wasn't enough. Even the teachers were having trouble staying awake, some even fell right to sleep after giving us assignments, and as much as I wanted to use my books as a pillow I just had to use my will power and focus what I'm working on to avoid learning it again.

Zac noticed me in third period and thankfully he wasn't in the mood for another fight due to being grumpy. All he ever did was send me death glares and I only looked away from them. I hope Scarlett's okay handling him, and it makes it even more awkward since they use to date. Even though I don't know her that well and we're just acquaintances, she seems like a nice girl despite what happened this morning.

I really can't think at all right now, and it's best if I didn't tell the girls or my friends about the incident either. It's not too big to gossip about, but it'll bring a different chain reaction that I really didn't want to be apart of, plus it might get to Zac and things between us will get worse if he thinks I'm trying to get with his ex.

Through a miracle it was finally noon and time for lunch before heading out. Me and girls met up again after third period ended, but just before we could head toward the cafeteria a large crowd started rushing through the halls in a hurry.

"Hey Kameron!" A voice called me.

I turned around and I saw Lars alongside The Cool Kids: Buck Dewey, Sour Cream, and Jenny Pizza.

"What's the big rush? Something going on?" I asked while approaching them.

"A large man or something is sitting right in front of the school. My sister texted it to me just now." Jenny replied.

Large man? Wait...it couldn't be. Here?! Why would he come here?

I quickly turned around and started sprinting towards the main entrance.

"Hey, where are you going?!" Chelsea called out.

I didn't respond.

I kept rushing through the halls and pushed myself to get where I needed to go until I noticed the main doors and burst them open. When I got outside everyone looked at him with surprised expression, but I didn't care as I was more concerned about what Jenny told me. Straight ahead I jogged up to a circle of people looking at something and squeezed myself through. When I was able to get in I turned my attention to what they where looking at, and when I did I immediately raised my right hand and slapped my forehead while groaning.

"Kameron. What's going on? Why did you-" Angela said as she and the others followed me before stopping to see what I was seeing.

There he was, sitting right on his butt and sleeping. Why is he even here?

"Isn't that your brother?" Angela asked me.

"Wait, what?! This big guy is your brother?" Lars asked, completely baffled.

"Yeah. He is." I replied as I walked forward. "CITRINE!"

He immediately opened his eyes and noticed me standing right in front of him with crossed arms.

"Brother." He replied as he reached out his arms and pulled him into his chest. This sudden action caused me to puff out some air, but at the same time I just excepted it. He's my brother and I'll always love him no matter what, even if he crushes my spine. A few seconds later a released me, giving me a chance to catch my breath.

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to get you afterschool."

"Couldn't you've waited until I got home?"

"I did. Then I asked Green if I could get you. He said yes."

I sighed. "Alright. You ready?"

He nodded, but just before he could get up another voice ringed my ears. "Hey Foresthead."

I turned my head to the right and there he was, standing with a smirk on his face. "Is this freak really related to you?" He asked.

I narrowed my eyes at him and just looked away. Right then and there, I just wanted to go up to him and show him what happens when he calls my brother a freak...but that won't change anything.

"What did you say about me?" Citrine asked as he then stood up from the ground. Everyone else slowly backed away from him due to his large size. He then walked straight to Zac and after he got close he looked down at him with narrow eyes. Zac just stood in place and judging by the expression on his face, he wasn't looking so cool right now. "You're such a pain."

"Back off, man. I'm...I'm warning you." Zac stuttered as he took a step back.

"Don't call me names. And don't mess with my brother." Citrine replied as he turned around and walked toward me. "Can we go now?"

"Sure big guy. Did you walk all the way here?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Jumped."

I cocked an eyebrow before he grabbed me and placed me under his left arm. "Hey, what are you doing?"

"Taking you home. Then, we start finding my hammer." He replied before turning around to look at everyone. "Bye Angela. Bye Chelsea."

I looked at the girls as they just slowly lifted their arms and waved at him. He then turned again and squatted before leaping high into the air. We then landed few feet from the school before he jumped into the air again.

 _I'm gonna vomit. Totally gonna vomit._

* * *

 **Citrine**

Finally. I have my brother. Now, find my hammer.

I kept jumping and jumping and jumping, keep jumping until we get home.

"Citrine, watch where you're jumping!" Kameron said.

I looked at him and down below. There were some humans and a big truck right under us.

"Dear, look out!" The woman said as she and the other humans moved. I then landed down, right on the truck. The truck helped our fall, but I then looked at my brother who looked mad and the other humans who looked scared.

"Sorry." Kameron said to them.

I then leaped away. After I find my hammer, I'll go back and help fix the truck.

* * *

Home. When we got there I let go of my brother and he fell down and breathing big breaths.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"I think so. *heavy breaths* Just be careful where you're jumping. As you jump, watch the ground, okay?" He replied.

I nodded. He took one more breath and went inside. I followed. I then saw the others sitting down.

"Can we find my hammer now?"

"Of course, Citrine. Do you remember the last place you left your hammer?" Green asked.

I scratched my head when he asked me that. I hummed and spoke, "I can't remember."

"Can ya try? That's not gonna give us anythin' to work with." Amber said.

"I don't like to think."

"Please try, Citrine. If we're here to help you find what you're looking for, you need to try and use your mind." Azurite asked.

Thinking. I never liked it. It's such a pain to do. I just smash whatever's in my way. But then, I guess I should try it. Just this once.

I pulled up my hands and made them into fists. I then closed my eyes and started thinking.

 _Think. Think. THINK. THINK! THINK! THINK! *Loud groans* IT'S...SUCH...A PAIN! I HAVE TO REMEMBER!_

"Citrine."

I then opened my eyes. I saw Azurite standing in front of me. "Don't push yourself. If you don't remember, Let me give you some help." She said, giving me her hand.

I gently took it in mine. I looked at her and her eyes turned light blue. They changed back and she turned around to the others.

"Not much I could see, but I saw some locations where we can check out."

"What's the first?" Green asked.

"Atlas Canyon."

* * *

My family and I went to a big place. When we got there we climbed a wall. The wall was big. It felt nice to climb it.

We kept climbing for a long time. I wasn't sure how long we climbed, but up above was the sky. I wanted to get there. To the sky. To the top. To find my hammer.

"Can someone tell me why we're not using our powers to get there faster? Onyx can get us there in seconds." Lepidolite asked.

"Because there's nothing wrong with just using our own bodies and we cannot be so reliant on our abilities, Lepidolite." Green replied.

"Yeah. Besides, I've climbed lots a canyons back in the day. This ain't no different." Amber said. "How's the rest of ya doing?"

"I'm getting the hang of it. Just making sure not to grab any weak areas." Kameron said.

"Same here. This reminds me a lot back in my day. And now that I'm saying that, it makes me feel old." Charoite said.

"We are old. Each of us are thousands of years old yet we look like young adults, teenagers, and a child. Kameron is growing naturally then us, so that makes him different as well." Onyx said.

"You guys aren't that old. Sure you maybe older than me, but to me, you all are around your late teens and 20's, and Lepidolite looks like has hasn't entered her teens yet." Kameron replied.

"That's very sweet of you to say, Kameron." Azurite said.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm touched. Can everyone just keep on climbing or are we just gonna be here all day and I REALLY don't want to do that." Pyrope said.

We kept climbing and pushed forward until I grabbed a ledge and pushed up to get to the top. The others joined me and at the very top there was something right in front of us. Wait...I've seen it before. It was big, made of rock, and looked like a chest. I ran to it and raised my arms then pulling them down and smashing the top as hard as I could.

"Jeez, Citrine. Your avarice is still as ripe as a fruit." Green said as he walked up to me.

"What kind of treasure did we find?" Lepidolite asked as she hopped on my back.

I looked inside the chest and there I saw her... She was beautiful. She looked pretty. Her furry clothes, big hair, and nice smile. I put my hands inside and picked her up to bring her out and show it to everyone.

"Uh Citrine, who is that?" Charoite asked.

"This is a _special_ woman. I met her a long time ago. She was pretty and she liked me too. We had a lot of fun together." I answered.

"She's also a statue, Citrine." Pyrope said.

"I know. I made her so that I could never forget her."

"That's really kind. Was your hammer in the chest too?" Kameron asked.

I shook my head. My hammer wasn't there, but I found my woman and she can come back with me. I asked Onyx if I could put this back in my room. He took it from me, then he disappeared and came back.

"So the hammer wasn't here. Where else do we have to check?" Pyrope asked Azurite.

* * *

The sun was shining. We were walking in a bigger place than before and there was sand, just like in Beach City.

Kameron was sweating. Water was dripping from his face and he looked sick. "Kameron. Do you want to ride my back?"

"Sure. I'm not so sure how much more I can walk." He replied.

I squatted and he grabbed my shoulders. I sat up and kept walking.

"Out of all the places in the world you had the freaking desert in your head?!" Pyrope said when he looked at me.

"I like the desert. The sand is warmer here."

He groaned as we kept walking.

"Less complaining Pyrope more looking. We need to make this quick or Kameron will get a heat stroke." Azurite said.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me." He replied.

Then as we walked, Amber stopped and started hopping on one leg. "OW! Damn it! What in tarnation did I just kick?"

I looked at where she kicked and fell down to start digging. Digging wasn't much of a pain. I've dug tunnels underground.

Under the sand was another chest. I smashed it open and inside was...more sand. And a little creature with claws and a tail.

"No hammer."

"Wait a minute. Citrine did you check your room for your hammer?" Kameron asked.

"I didn't."

"His room?! Why didn't we check it in the first place?!" Pyrope said.

"It would've been too obvious. But I believe it's always the last place to look." Onyx said.

"Let's just go. I need shade and Kameron needs water." Charoite said.

* * *

 **Kameron**

We returned home and as soon as we did I rushed into the kitchen and grabbed the nearest bottle of water before chugging it down and pouring it all over my face while I was standing around the sink. The desert is really the last place anybody would leave their belongings, let alone a hammer.

"Water... So...refreshing." I exhaled as I breathed. Once I was able to repose myself I followed the others and my dad to Citrine's room, the one place no-one is allowed to go in. Upstairs down the hall to the right was an arc of doors with a different symbol and color equal to who's room it was. There were seven doors and each color ranged to yellow, blue, red, orange, violet, pink, and black. My room and my parents' room were down on the left due space issues and having my siblings be close if they ever needed to talk to one another.

Citrine's door was huge. Orange and with a hammer symbol at the center, ironically. And this will be the first time anybody has ever gone into his room. I've always wondered what the inside was like. It'll definitely be different than the others, but the more I think about it the more interested I got.

The big guy walked up to the door and placed his hand on it, causing it to glow bright orange. It then raised itself up and we all started walking forward. As we walked I started observing my surroundings and it felt like a cave due to the rocky wall structures. I was just about to ask a question to my brother when all of a sudden a squealing sound echoed through my ears, making me stop in my tracks. The others stopped in front of me and just ahead of us a large shadow appeared.

I was about to get into a stance and be prepared for whatever it was, however the shadow started to shrink and just around the corner was something I never thought I'd see today. A small pink animal looked at us and ran straight to Citrine, squealing happily.

"Oliver!" He cheered as he gently picked him up and held him in his arms.

"Aww. Look at him. it's so cute. Is he a baby?" Lepidolite gleed as she approached him.

"He is." Citrine replied.

I could only look at this with a raised eyebrow. A baby pig. My big brother has a baby pig in his room... This really doesn't need any explanations to begin with.

"I thought Christie said ya couldn't have a pet anymore?" Amber asked.

"I'm taking good care of him. He wanted to come with me. Can we keep him?"

"Please? I'll help take care of him too." Lepidolite added, giving out one of her _special_ expressions to us.

Whenever she does that it's painfully hard to say "no". I mean she looks like a nine year old and she's already adorable, but when she does this it just makes anybody cave in.

"Very well. However, as long as you tell my wife about this then you may keep Oliver." My dad said.

My brother nodded as he then released Oliver, who started jumping all around as we continued walking forward.

Up ahead there was a light and as we passed through it I nearly dropped my jaw from what I was seeing. Junk. All around the room there was so much junk everywhere and it looked even worst than Amethyst's room. There were vases, picture frames, big statues, drum kits, crumbs, boxes, chicken wing bowls, plastic cups, rubber balls, toys, and any else considered junk.

"Citrine. How can you live like this?!" Azurite exclaimed loudly.

"I don't know." He replied.

"Ugh. As soon as we're done finding your hammer this room needs a makeover. Ugh! And don't get me started with the smell." Charoite said as she cover her mouth and nose.

I took a sniff and immediately covered my mouth. It smelled like old sweaty gym clothes times fifty. My god, how can somebody, even a Gem, do this to themselves?

"No! No-one touches my stuff. Only find my hammer."

"Citrine, it'll help you find your belongings quickly. You really need this." Azurite explained.

Citrine groaned, but he nodded to her suggestion even though he wasn't so agreeable to it.

Each of us split up and took a different section of his room. The more I looked around at the hoard of junk and old smelly food the more sickly I felt. I could feel it in my stomach acid and somewhere here is gonna be the extra push to bring it all out, I know it.

I began digging through some pie wrappers and toy hammers. It wasn't that bad until I noticed a strange stick pocking out. I pulled on it and when I got it out I went silent. "Citrine. I found an old corn dog."

He jumped over to me and look at it, sniffed it, and devoured it right in front of my face. "MMM. Still good. Thank you."

When he jumped away I found my kicker. I instantly turned my head and barfed. Then kneeled a bit while holding my stomach and groaning. Once I was at least feeling a little better I backed up from my vomit and for some reason I tripped and fell.

I grunted from my fall and sat up to see something sticking out from the ground. "Hey guys! I found something!"

On cue the others came to my section and noticed what I was looking at.

"What's that?" Citrine asked.

"Huh? It's in your room and you don't know what it is?" I replied.

He shrugged before I got up and placed my hand on it. When I pulled it up a big part of the floor opened up. It looked like a secret passage, and I guess Citrine was too distracted to ever notice it.

Wondering where it leads, we all traveled down a stairwell and at the bottom it looked like a large private room. There wasn't anything on the walls nor was there any type of decorations, instead there was a long wooden table at the center and right there was what made this a very, very long day.

"MY HAMMER!" Citrine cheered as he ran to the table and quickly picked it up while caressing his face to the side of it. The hammer itself was pretty big as he said and it had spikes on the end of it, but 'beautiful' still wasn't the case as I just thought it looked impressive.

"All this time...the hammer was here?!" Pyrope said, enraged.

"Thank you everyone." Citrine replied.

I just groaned and turned around. "I'm gonna go get some Ginger Ale and take a bath."

"Do you need some help washing your back?" Char asked.

"No! And Oliver will need bath too."

 _I swear I'm keeping all of my stuff where I know they'll be and never lose them for the rest of my life._

 **End of Chapter 6.**

 **I apologize again for keeping you all waiting.**

 **Hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season and I'll see you all again soon.**


	7. Heart to Heart

Hi **everyone. Happy New Year.**

 **Hope you all are well and enjoying yourselves.**

 **Please enjoy. Warning: Long Chapter.**

Chapter 7: Heart to Heart

"Now children. Do not be afraid. Do not be worried. Relax... Calm your thoughts, your concerns, and let it all out. Release your feelings." My teacher announced.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Once I exhaled I looked at my pencil and placed it straight in the middle of my paper. There, as I calmed my thoughts, the image began to view itself to me. Every curve, swift, angle, and detail flowed through me as I began making my image.

This is what I like. This is my passion. Whenever I pick up a pencil and a piece of paper images just flash inside of me from what I desire to create. The colors I select represent the true feelings of the image and how they feel toward the world itself. There is nothing more for me that to create what I like and give it shape, form, and view from my very own subconsciousness. That is art.

Out of every class in my school, Art is my number one. The one class where I feel more at peace with myself. My teacher is easygoing and puts on music whenever he allows us to draw while he meditates on his own desk. He always has a smile on his face and whenever me or anybody else talks to him it's so soothing. He deeply cares about people and told us himself that he became a teacher because he wanted to be surrounded by kids and teach us what was taught to him years ago.

As I stared at my drawing coming to life I added one last detail before ultimately placing it down on my desk. When I looked at it it sent a shiver down my spine. The face... It looked so evil and disturbing. Just looking at it made me slightly regret making it, but...despite the appearance, it was still my creation and by getting past the creep factor it's actually interesting to see.

"Okay everyone. Place your papers down." He asked as the music was turned off.

I looked at everyone else around me and my thoughts began to wonder how their drawings turned out. Angela was a few rows down to my left and the expression on her face looked gentle and positive. A few rows down to my right was Chelsea and judging by the grin she was producing my best guess was she was happy about her work.

"Now. Can someone here please explain to me what you all drew?"

"Crazy evil looking monsters?" A male student announced.

"Correct. However, these monsters do have a name. Would anyone care to tell us the name of these creatures?"

I immediately raised my hand as soon as he was finished taking.

"Ah, Mr. Evans. Please, speak."

"They are known as Oni." I answered.

"Very good, Mr. Evans. Please come up and tell us what you know about Oni."

I nodded and got up from my desk before over to the front and standing next to my teacher's desk with my picture in hand. I looked down at my picture and showed it to my classmates when I began speaking.

"Oni. The word itself means ogre or demon. It's been debated for centuries on which term is real, but in my own opinion, it means demon. The Oni are demons that have originated from Japanese folklore. They tell the tales of creatures who are spawned by those who's hearts are tainted by darkness, and when it full corrupts you, your mind and body are transformed. These demons reside within Yomi, the land of darkness and would try to escape so that they can feed their hunger on human flesh and eat the souls of children."

The expressions on everyone's faces ranged from disbelief to disturbed when I finished.

"Wow. That's...so inhuman." Angela said lightly.

"I know. I've heard many stories about them and they still scare the crap out of me." I replied while placing my picture down to my right side.

"Oooh. I'm so scared." Chelsea mocked. "Pfft. Please, these are all just stories parents tell to make kids listen to them and give them nightmares."

"Be it as it may, that shouldn't make you believe that they are just fiction." The teacher said as I made my way back to my desk.

"You believe in them?"

"I do. You may never know when an Oni will come and take you away."

Chelsea just brushed off his words while I just shook away any remaining fears left in me. I really hope these are just stories.

* * *

Minutes later the bell went off and it now time to move on to fourth period.

"Have a good everyone. For homework I would like each of you to make a full scale image of your very own Oni. Do your best and have fun too." My teacher said as we were all packing up to leave.

Hm. My very own Oni, huh? I think I have a few ideas on what to make.

As I made my way of of the building and outside I then had the Parks sisters join up with me. For a while now even though they were assigned to watch over me I have been able to get to know them a bit. The results: they were each the opposite of each other.

"So Mr. Badass, I believe you owe me and my sister a bit of an explination." Chelsea said as we were walking.

"About what?"

"Your brother. How the hell was he able to leap that far?"

My eyes widened slightly from hearing that. I then groaned while slapping my hand against my face. I told him to wait at home until I got back because I knew something like this was gonna happen eventually.

"Well?"

"It's...complicated." Was all I could say.

Just then Chelsea stepped in front of me and stopped, making me and her sister halt in our tracks.

"C'mon. You've already showed us your powers, we've met your family, what else are you hiding?"

The tone in her voice was firm and the look in her eye told me she needed to know the truth. I lightly gripped onto my backpack strap and looked away from her for a second before looking back.

"It's none of your business." I replied sternly.

Her visible eye widened slightly before becoming narrow. She then approached me and grabbed my shirt, pulling me closer to her face.

"Chelsea. He'll tell us when he's ready. There's no need for this." Angela pleaded.

"Yes there is." She replied before turned to me. "What else are you hiding? Why do you wear bandages on your arms? Why does your brothers and sisters look different? We need to know because I've been thinking about it and you've got the answers I'm looking for. So spill or I'll have to make you. What's it gonna be?"

At that moment...I wasn't sure what to do. I do trust these girls and I did show them a small amount of my power, but... How are they gonna react when they learn about the _real_ me? I didn't know and as I stared into her eye it came back to me.

 _Freak. Monster. Go back to the science labs where you belong._

I gritted my teeth. I could feel my heart pounding. I didn't want to lie. I didn't, but I had to.

Never again.

Just as I was about to open my mouth to speak I felt a sudden change in the wind. When I looked up I saw something coming straight at us.

"Look out!" I yelled as I tackled both Chelsea and Angela to the ground.

They groaned a bit as I recovered and stood up. I then turned around and from the ground there were three small objects pierced in the cement. I walked over to them and picked one up. As I examined it I turned back around to see the girls get up.

"Dude, what is your deal?" Chelsea asked angerly.

They soon looked at what I had in my hands.

"Is that a shuriken?" Angela asked.

Before I could reply a loud thud erupted our ears. We each turned around and right there stood an unusual figure. It wore a black and white uniform with mixed color body armor. It had on socks with strap sandals, gloves, and over all an Oni mask with long horns, tusks, and a hood while carrying a sword in it's sheath.

"Who are you?" I asked cautiously.

The figure didn't respond. Instead it quickly rushed toward us and kneed me in the stomach, causing me to gawk as I crashed into the ground.

"Let go of me! What do you want with me?!"

My eyes widened from hearing that voice. I quickly got up and noticed Chelsea getting up from the ground while searching for Angela.

When I turned my vision upwards I saw the figure holding her on it's shoulder while standing on the roof of the Art building.

"Hey! Let her go!" Chelsea yelled.

Again the figure didn't respond. Instead it raised it's free arm, pointing straight forward before pulling something from it's armor and throwing it on the roof, vanishing in a puff of smoke.

* * *

Without a second to lose I began running to the main building with Chelsea following me.

It pointed at the top, which meant it wanted to meet us on the roof. That was gonna be a problem since the main building had four floors and getting to the roof wasn't gonna be easy.

"Hey wait up!" Chelsea yelled as she ran beside me. "How are you running this fast?"

"Not now. Get on my back and I'll get us to the roof quicker." I replied.

She raised an eyebrow in confusion from what I just told her. I sighed mentally and quickly picked her up bridle style before booking it toward the stairwells.

"Why are you holding me like this?"

"Just deal until we get to the roof, Chel."

Judging by how I wasn't in the mood to talk and how stern my tone was, she hushed herself and just held onto me as I hopped through each step.

From the end of the third floor up we made it to the door that lead to the roof. Luckily there wasn't too many students who saw us come up here and as I released Chelsea I crystallized my entire right hand to crush the lock on the door before opening it.

When we got outside again a small stream of rain began to fall, but that didn't matter too much as right in front of me was the figure who still had Angela on it's shoulder.

"Listen here you twisted thing from hell. Give me back my sister or _sayonara_ is gonna be the last word you'll hear from me." Chelsea said.

I raised up my arms in case it would try anything, but surprisingly it pulled Angela off it's shoulder and back on the ground. She immediately ran away from it and dashed toward her sister, hugging her while sobbing.

"Are you okay?"

"Y..Yes. I'm just..." Angela replied with a choked voice as she continued sobbing.

"Shh. I'm here."

As much as I glad that they were reunited, it didn't change my thoughts from what just concurred as I placed my attention away from the girls to the figure.

"Can you understand me?" I asked, receiving a nod.

"I'm gonna ask you one more time. Who are you?"

The figure didn't respond and pulled out it's sword from it's sheath.

"Girls. Go back inside." I said as I turned my head to them.

"And miss out on you kicking this thing's ass? No way!" Chelsea replied.

"I'm serious. Go!"

"C'mon Chelsea." Angela pleaded.

Groaning, Chelsea and her sister went back inside while the only people left were me and the figure.

I formed my right hand into a chop formation before crystallizing it and creating my very own blade, ripping away the bandages that covered it.. "I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. But whatever you're after I won't allow you to have it and the actions you've committed will not go unpunished."

The figure then went into a stance as I followed before we both dashed forward and clashed our blades against each other. Up close I stared at the Oni mask and though it was disturbing the art and craft were unique and well designed. We then pull away from ourselves right before I jumped into the air and performed a downward strike. The figure kneeled down to one knee and raised it's sword up, blocking my attack.

Due to the rain I had to keep on my toes to avoid slipping. One mistake can cost me this and though making mistaking shows no perfection, I couldn't afford any in this fight.

As I backed away the figure ran toward me and we began exchanging slashes with our blades. Back and forth. Left to right. Ascend and descend as my eyes locked on it's movements and fighting style. Something about this felt familiar to me all of a sudden as we continued. Just then the figure kicked me in the stomach again, but I blocked it using my left arm, only sliding backwards for the results.

I carefully watched what it was gonna do next and as I did the figure raised it's blade and slowly slid it's left hand across it. My eyes widened from this as a memory flashed in my mind. The figure took the blade with both hands and jumped high into the air-filled rain, somersaulting forward and attempting to release a slash.

Time slowed down on me as this was happening. The only ones who know that move is myself and the one who taught it to me. My sister. How does this person know it too?

Just as the figure came down on me I gripped onto my Crystal Blade and released a powerful horizontal slash as I screamed. When the figure returned to the ground I looked at the sword and half of the blade broke off before I aimed mine directly at the figure's face.

"It's over." I said seriously.

The figure dropped the remains of the sword before falling to it's knees. I then reverted my right arm back to normal and lowered it as ears picked up someone clapping while I looked at my opponent.

"Well, well, well. It looks like my teachings never left you, huh?"

My eyes widened from hearing that voice before I quickly turned around and right there as the rain was starting to fade was somebody I didn't expect.

"Charoite?"

"That's my name. And you've passed the test. Congratulations!" She replied with a smile.

"Test? Wait a minute. Is this figure with you?"

"Uh, yeah. And that's not a nice thing to say about her, little brother."

I raised an eyebrow and turned around to see the figure get up from the ground and remove the Oni mask and hood. Beneath the mask was a beautiful young woman with long black hair and crimson red eyes that I've never encountered before.

My eyes widened and my mouth slowly gap as I stared at her. "Y-You were a woman this whole time?!"

"I am. My name is Midori Misaki." She replied simply.

"How come you didn't say anything when I spoke to you?"

"Ninja Guideline #1: Silence. Never give away your voice to the enemy unless you have a reason to." She explained.

"O...kay? Char, why are you here and what is going on?"

"Listen. I know you have questions to ask, but can we save all of them for later? I need your help." She asked calmly and seriously as her eye lightly narrowed.

"With what?"

"We'll explain when we get to Kyoto." Midori said behind me.

"Kyoto?" I asked before turning my head to her and back to Charoite. "Sis, I can't just leave school and go to Kyoto. What about the others?"

They're in Africa dealing with a crisis. Please? I really need you right now." Char said as she softly placed both hands on my shoulders.

I looked into her eye and noticed it shaking a bit. I wasn't so sure what was going on, but judging from the tone in her voice and the way she lightly gripped my shoulders told me this was either serious or personal.

I couldn't just leave school right here and now though. That was one of the rules my mom and dad set up when my powers were developing and I was going through training: No mystical Gem adventures during school hours. I had to balance out my humanity with my Gem side and this is one of the examples, however she said she needed me and I couldn't help but feel sorrow in me through her.

I let out a small sigh while closing my eyes and reopening them to give her a nod. She formed a small smile and embraced me.

She then stepped away from me and before a word could come out from her lips the rooftop door opened up with Chelsea and Angela walking out from it.

"Hold up. If you're going, we're going too." Chelsea announced with a grin.

"No way." I instantly replied.

"Dude. We're going. We just saw you fight this ninja chick and heard you going to Japan. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and you still have to answer for what's going on here."

I groaned while looking away for a second before turning my eyes back to her. "Chelsea. I get you and Angela want to know more about me and believe me I want to tell you too, but...I really...can't."

Before Chelsea could speak up again my sister intervened. "Everybody. I have a better suggestion. How about you two cute girls come and my brother can watch over you?"

"WHAT?!"

"You heard me. I don't know what's going on with you and them, but whatever the case is you need to settle it. Normally neither me or the others would allow this since I don't know them very well, but they do seem okay to me and this is something you have to get over if want to move on. Understand?"

I couldn't really argue with my sister about me having to tell the girls about my other half, but having them come to another country with me is a bit extreme depending on whatever's going on there.

"Wait. We can't go. We still have classes, in which we're missing out on right now?" Angela addressed.

"Ugh. If you want, allow me and Charoite to take of it if it'll ease your concerns." Midori suggested.

"What are you two gonna do?" I questioned with a hesitant tone.

"Don't worry about that. We won't do anything too drastic. I promise." Char replied to me with a short wink.

Despite her vow, I felt goosebumps rising in me to what they planned on doing.

* * *

With Onyx's help the five of us made it to Kyoto, Japan after my sister and Midori dealt with the issue of me and the girls leaving campus early. The suggestion that they selected was non-lethal and effective, even I was glad about it and relieved that they didn't choose the other options.

After exiting through one of my brother's portals we appeared on top of a building overseeing several others in a neighborhood and just beyond that was a large temple up north with the sun slowly heading down the horizon.

"Wow. I can't believe it. We're actually in Japan." Angela said quietly as she stepped forward and observed her surroundings.

"This is so cool. Do you travel like this all the time?" Chelsea asked me.

"More than you know." I replied while rubbing the back of my head.

"Okay everybody. You can sight see later. There are more important matters to deal with right now." Char announced, gaining our attention.

"And what are the matters?" I asked.

"My clan." Midori answered. "Oni have attacked us and even though we've managed to lower their numbers thanks to your sister, they are still out there and by nightfall they will return. If not defeated then they'll reach the temple and this place, killing anyone that stands in their way."

"Oni? As in Japanese Demons?" Angela asked, receiving a nod from Midori.

"Seriously? Oni aren't real. They're just characters in bedtime stories." Chelsea stated casually.

I saw Midori widened her eyes before narrowing them. "No! They are real! I saw them with my own eyes! And they critically injured members of my clan!"

The girls and myself were a little taken back by from Midori's outburst. And Oni can't be real so there has to be a better and more logical explination.

"Midori, please. We'll get them." Char said softly as she took Midori's hand into her own.

She closed her eyes and took a breath before exhaling from her mouth. Once she composed herself she returned her view on us with a small frown. "My apologizes. I didn't mean to speak to you all like that."

"It's okay." I assured. "I'm sure your clan is important to you. It's natural for people to react to others that don't understand what you're going through."

"Indeed. Come. We must head to the forests to see my brother before nightfall."

She then placed her mask back on and leaped off of the building to the next.

"Girls." Charoite said gaining their attention. "Since you two don't have much agility, I would prefer that you cling onto my brother as he does the leaping."

"We have to do what?" Chelsea asked.

"Let him wrap his arms around each of your waists while you two hold onto his tightly and follow us."

I felt my face burning when my sister told us that. Sure, I've had people wrapped onto me and myself holding onto them, but that was to get them out of danger or carry them if they're injured. THIS is a completely different story. I looked at Angela who seemed a little nervous and Chelsea who just raised an eyebrow at me.

"Umm... Couldn't you have one of them wrapped around you?" I asked my sister.

"Nope. This will help you guys connect better. Good luck and try not to get too excited." She replied before leaping off the building.

I looked at both girls and sighed as I walked toward the edge of the building with them next to me. "Are you ready?"

"S-Sure. Just hang on tight, right?" Angela asked.

"Yeah." I replied before turning my head "Chelsea?"

"I'm fine with it. However, you gonna have to take us out to dinner when this is over. And try not to have any _special_ thoughts while you're holding us, okay?" She replied with a small grin.

"W-what are you talking about?"

"Don't worry about it. C'mon. Let's go before we lose track of your sister."

Both girls scooched over to me a little closely as they wrapped their arms around my back and chest as I placed my hands around their waists. I then squatted my legs and took a big leap, causing Angela to scream and Chelsea to shout joyfully with every other leap I followed after.

 _I hope the forest isn't too far away._

* * *

 **Charoite**

As my brother was busy handling the girls I kept my focus on Midori and the sun as we started heading into Bamboo Forest.

She was hurting. I could feel it and nobody was more hurt about all of this than her. Her brother may be upset about this as much as I am, but Midori was more emotionally fragile when it came to the clan, even if she didn't always show it. She's always been like that for as long as I can remember, but the worst stage came on a certain day.

( _Flashback)_

 _I wonder how she's doing? I haven't had a call from her for a while and whenever I called her it always go to voicemail. It would be an idea to go see her brother to know about her progress and her well being, but ever since he became head of the clan he's been busy lately and I'd be getting in the way since it's only been a week since he first began. Only one option left: Go see her myself and see what's up._

 _I began leaping through every building roof in the district I was in until I ultimately found the Misaki residence. There, since it was already dark out I just leaped from the roof all the way to the sidewalk with nobody around. I then walked up to the house and near the door I only noticed her shoes. Things weren't easy after their parents passed away and he joined the Jihi Clan. I was there for a time and after we got to know each other he introduced me to her and asked me to watch over her when he couldn't. I couldn't say "no" and because we use to be an item, but more importantly I did like her as we got closer._

 _"Midori? It's me." I called as I rang the doorbell._

 _I crossed my arms behind my back and waited patiently until I heard locks unlocking and the door opening up. On the other side I saw her and when I did my eyes were widened. She wore a white tank top and black shorts. Her face was a little red and her eyes were narrowed as she looked at me._

 _"Oh...it's you." She answered before turning around and walking away._

 _I raised an eyebrow before going inside and closing the door behind me. The house still looked the same and was kept pretty decent with each step that I took before I followed her into the dining room. There she was sitting in a chair with a glass in her hand and gulping down the drink in it. I can already guess what it was, I've had my fair share of it at times._

 _"Are you okay?" I asked as I slowly approached her._

 _"Does it look like I'm okay?" She replied a bit sternly._

 _"Drowning your sorrows?"_

 _"Correct."_

 _I sighed._

 _"What happened?"_

 _"I went over to see him and I heard noises coming from the window near the front door. Out of curiosity I took a peak inside and I saw him with another woman. Right there! I had a feeling something was off whenever he said he was really busy with something but I never thought I'd caught him in that!"_

 _My eye widened as I placed a hand on my chest. I couldn't believe he would do something like that to her. I thought he was a pretty nice guy, but this breaks my view on him. It hurt me inside just as it did with her._

 _She then attempted to get up, but as she did she toppled over and I quickly caught her before we both fell onto the carpet floor._

 _"Midori, it's gonna be okay. Things like this happen."_

 _"Don't talk to me like you're my mother."_

 _"Believe me, I've got through heartbreaks too. Myself and my partners. You need someone to talk to right now."_

 _"Who?! My brother is now the leader of the clan, my parents are dead, and my friends are all busy with their own lives and I don't to be a burden to them."_

 _"What about me? I'm here for you and I always will."_

 _"I know. I love you for that and my brother told me how amazing you were when you two were together."_

 _"Yeah. But when he became leader we went our separate ways, but kept in touch and he brought me to you."_

 _"I know, having friends and people being there for you is great to have, but sometimes... I want more than that."_

 _I looked at her face and saw tears forming in them before they fell. She doesn't deserve this. If anyone it's her now ex and he's gonna have to deal with me for breaking this girl's heart. That'll have to be for later as she needs me right now and in her current state I'm gonna have to play my ultimate trump card._

 _It's time I give Midori my compassion and hope it'll be enough to heal her wounds._

 _(Flashback End)_

As we entered into Bamboo Forest I quickly checked behind me to see Kameron and the girls before turning my head back to Midori.

"So... How was my brother when you fought him?"

She looked at me with her mask for a short second and back to moving through the forest. "He was well trained. His stance was on par and his skills are at an amateur rank. In other words, he's acceptable and I can see why you picked him for this."

"Yeah. Sorry about your katana."

"It's fine. There are plenty more at the temple."

A short while later as we got deeper into the forest I saw a large building hidden within the bamboo. Once I landed onto the ground near it along with Midori I took a step forward to look at it with a smile forming around my lips.

 _It's still holding up, even to this very day. I better make sure those monsters never come an inch to this place._

"Wow. That's a big temple." A voice said.

I turned around and saw my brother and the girls arrive and walking up to us.

"Kameron. I need you three to stay outside."

"Sure. But why?" He replied.

"Nobody outside the Jihi Clan can enter the temple. I do trust all of you, but those are the rules and I can't break them even if I wanted too."

"What are the Jihi Clan?" Angela asked.

"I shall explain who we are as long as you all keep it to yourselves." Midori said.

"Why?" Chelsea asked with a hand to her hip.

"Because if we are ever discovered in the outside world, it will lead to devastating consequences." Midori explained before she continued. "We are a group of ninjas who have dedicated ourselves to help the weak and the innocent. We steal from the rich, corrupt, and those with evil hearts and outlooks and give it to the poor. For as long as I can remember, my clan has been accomplishing this for many centuries and we do this to have balance in our home country as well as spreading compassion."

My brother and the girls widened their eyes from hearing this. I smirked while crossing my arms.

"That's really nice of you. So, you all are like Robin Hood?" Angela said.

"Robin Hood?" Midori asked while tilting her head.

"In America we've got this guy wearing green tights who uses a bow and arrows and pretty much does what you all do." Chelsea explained.

"Really?"

"Yeah, but you look way better. Especially with that strange look you're wearing."

"It's a uniform. Only second in command can wear them and in doing so we are called by a title instead of our names."

"What's the title called?" Kameron asked.

"We'll tell you later. For now, stay here." I replied as me and Midori went inside.

* * *

Walking into the temple there were rows of lantern lights turning on from one side of the place to the other and as the room illuminated more of it started to show itself from the shadows. Statues emerged, honoring the former second in commands before Midori. Each one wore similar attire as her right now, but more ancient and old.

Through the halls of the temple we traveled quietly onward until we reached the very last door at the end. The Throne Room.

Midori knocked on the door three times before it was opened. Inside the room I saw a familiar face sitting calmly in a well designed chair with several ninja loyalists around him. The man in the chair wore traditional royalty garments in red and yellow along with a short hat on top of his head, but what really impressed me was the fact that he still had his mustache.

"Brother. I have returned." Midori said as she kneeled down as I soon followed.

"It is good to see you again sister. Your timing is ripe and in less than an hour shall the sun set and the beasts of the night return." He replied with a deep voice.

"I'm fully aware. How are the others doing?"

"Their injuries are very severe, but the medical aid is helping them as much as possible. Do not trouble yourself. It was not your fault and they will get on their feet again soon."

"I understand, but... I failed. I wasn't good enough to defeat them."

"Sister! Do not blame yourself over this! We are all to blame and we will all make it right. Compassion is our strength, but do not let it consume your thoughts and well being." "Charoite. As much as I would want for us to catch up, there isn't any time. You've stated that your brother is here to help us in this crucial time?"

"He is. Don't worry, I've trained him and he is more than capable of himself." I replied.

"How can I be certain of this?" He questioned.

I raised myself up from the floor and looked at him eye to eye.

"Because I believe in him. He trusts me ever since the day he wanted to become a Rainbow Gem. I care a lot for what has happened to the people who fought the Oni days ago and I swear to you that me, my brother, and Midori can take care of this together."

The Head of the Jihi Clan lightly widened his eyes before closing them. I waited for a response and saw him grow a smile.

"Your compassion for others is the strongest I've seen out of anybody's. You haven't changed a bit, Charoite, and that makes me happy."

I grew a smile when he said that. "You've always known how I am, Reiji. So will you accept my words?"

He nodded, "You are not one who can tell a lie since I met you. I shall allow my sister to join you in this bout, but be careful."

Midori stood up and nodded with me. Then Reiji stood up from his chair and snapped his fingers. One of his loyalists disappeared before reappearing moments later with a long object in his hands. He gave it to Reiji as he then approached us with the object.

"Midori Misaki. My sister. For your fight I bestow upon you this sword. It has been passed down to me from our father, his father, and his father before him. Our ancestors have carried this very blade as a symbol of justice and the very blade itself is stained with their blood before they've passed it on. As of now, this blade is now and forever yours."

Midori lightly gasped as she gazed upon the sword. It was long and carried no handle. I looked at her face and though she was wearing a mask, she was happy to have this honor.

"Thank you so much, brother. I swear on my life that I will keep it safe." She said as she took the sword with her right hand.

Reiji then approached her and wrapped his arms around her. My eye widened from this but it later softened as I watched the siblings embrace.

"You are more to me than the sword. Do your best and don't die." He said as they separated.

She nodded and because I was just too happy, I walked up to Reiji and planted my lips on his cheek. He lightly gasped and covered his cheek while turning his attention to me.

"That's for being an amazing leader and brother."

A small blush appeared on his face with a smile forming on his lips.

"Let's go Midori before things get too hot around here."

"R-Right." She replied as we made our way out.

* * *

 **Kameron**

As me and the girls were waiting outside with nightfall approaching, I got up from the steps of the temple and faced the girls you were still sitting down.

"Are you okay?" Angela asked.

"Yeah... Just thinking." I replied. "Do you two still want to know more about me?"

"That's the whole reason we came." Chelsea said as she sat up.

"If you're ready to tell us, go ahead." Angela added while placing her hands in her lap.

I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath before exhaling from my mouth. When I reopened my eyes I looked at both of them, waiting patiently for me to speak.

"Have both of you seen the news about any strange occurrences or monsters happening?"

Both sisters looked at each other and back to me.

"Not that much. There were glimpses from what they said, but nothing much. Why?" Angela said.

"I'm an alien." I flat out said.

Both girls widened their eyes from my words before Chelsea started laughing. She repeatedly slapped her knee before she ultimately stopped and looked at me as I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes.

"Oh... O-Oh are you serious?" She asked.

"Half. On my dad's side."

"Wow. And did you get your powers from a young age?" Angela asked, receiving a nod from me.

"Dude. That's so cool!" Chelsea said as she suddenly got up.

"No it isn't." I replied while looking away.

"C'mon. What's so bad about having powers?"

"How about being called a freak?"

Angela lightly gasped from my response before she got up from the steps. "Kameron. You're not a freak."

I sighed and gripped my fists while closing my eyes. As I did this I began concentrating on my primary ability. I could feel them. Creeping onto my body from all over and shedding my bandages. When they full reached I heard another gasp from Angela as I opened my eyes to see her covering her mouth and Chelsea just staring at me with her eyes widened.

"This is what I meant. This is my curse."

As they stared at me I could only imagine the worse. To be honest, both of them are the second people I've showed my powers to. My first was another and it was the biggest mistake I've ever made.

 _I will never forget that day._

 _(Flashback)_

 _We were laughing so much as we swung together. Going higher and higher until one of us could touch the sky. Then an idea popped in my head and I stopped my movements while getting off the swing._

 _"Hey, why'd you stop?" She asked._

 _"Can I push you?"_

 _She then stopped herself and looked at me strangely. We then stared at each other until she grew a smile and nodded. I smiled too and got behind her before stretching out my arms and pushing her up, making her giggle._

 _After a while we ran and played tag. She couldn't keep up with me, so I let her win as she tackled me to the ground._

 _We kept playing for hours and hours until sunset. When it came we both sat down on a bench and stared at it._

 _"This was so much today." She said cheerfully._

 _"Yeah. I had a lot of fun too. And there's something I want to give you." I replied._

 _She looked at me with wonder as I placed my hand into my pocket. When I pulled it out I opened it up and she gasped from looking at it._

 _"This is for you."_

 _"It's soo beautiful. Where'd you get that?"_

 _"I made it myself."_

 _"Really? How?"_

 _Before I could tell her I wrapped her gift around her neck. She was a little surprised I did that, but nonetheless was happy. I pulled my hands and started thinking really hard. My hands then started changing and getting covered in crystals. When I ended at my wrists I looked up to her as she was in awe._

 _"That's so amazing! How are you able to do that?"_

 _I was about to speak until I felt something hit me. I placed my hand where I was hit and turned my head to see a big kid looking at us, smiling._

 _"If it isn't the freak." He said as he walked up to us._

 _"Leave me alone! I'm not a freak!"_

 _"Yes you are. I saw what you can you. Only a freak and a monster can do that."_

 _I turned away from him. I thought the park would be the last place he'd find me._

 _"Leave him alone. He's isn't a freak." My friend said._

 _"Are you stupid? He's just like those monsters everybody talks about. He should go back to the science lab where he belongs." The big kid replied._

 _Before I knew it I turned to him and he pushed me away from my friend. I fell to the ground and I glared at him while getting up._

 _"What's wrong? Wanna fight, freak?"_

 _I squeezed my hands and I felt my eyes water. I gritted my teeth and shut my eyes before turning around and run. Why? Am I a freak?_

 _I ran home. It was the only safe place for me. My room was an even safer place and nobody was around._

 _I laid on my bed and turned from the door, feeling my tears fall from my face as I whimpered. Then I heard a knock coming from my door._

 _"Kameron? Are you okay?"_

 _I didn't answer._

 _I then felt something poke my shoulder, causing me to turn around._

 _"Hey, what's wrong?" She asked_

 _"I don't want to talk about it."_

 _"Kameron. I'm your sister. And you know it hurts me whenever I see you or anybody get upset like this. Please talk to me."_

 _I sighed and turned my whole body around. I then sat at the edge of my bed with my sister sitting next to me. I looked at her and she looked as sad as me. I then started whimpering again before wrapping my arms around her._

 _"Charoite... Am I freak?"_

 _I heard her gasp. We then separated and she softly placed her hands on my face._

 _"Of course not. Nothing is wrong with you. You're different. And you're special." She told me._

 _"Liar. I'm not special. What's so special about being called names and getting picked on?"_

 _"You shouldn't care about what other people say. You are you. Don't let them get to you. And if they still bully you, I'll be there to help when I can."_

 _I sniffled a little and wiped my eyes. "Promise?"_

 _"Promise. You know I'm always here for you. Me and the others. And I love you so much."_

 _She then kissed my cheek and wrapped her arms around me, placing my head against her chest as she rubbed my hair. I then wrapped my arms around her and held onto her as tight as I could._

 _(Flashback End)_

 _"..._ I never saw her again and kept everything to myself. I did get other friends, but I never showed them this. I wear the bandages to hide my Gem and to keep myself from using my secondary ability." I concluded, explaining everything to them.

Angela and Chelsea just stood right there. Not saying a word and possibility taking all of this in.

Just as one of them was about to say something I heard a sound in the distance. The sun had fallen and the moon was at the peak of the sky with stars all around it.

I turned around from the girls and kept my guard up for whatever's coming as the sound I heard seconds ago was getting louder. From the bamboo branches a massive figure popped out and crashed into the ground a few feet from us. The creature had red skin and long yellow wild hair. It had long horns on it's head and sharp tusks from it's mouth. It's eyes were crimson red and as it stood up I noticed the sharp claws from it's hands and feet. But what really got my attention was the dark red Gemstone on it's throat.

" **GGRRRAAAH!"** It howled at us.

I heard Angela scream before I spread out my arms as they formed into blades and got into a stance. The monsters growled at me and rushed forward with his claws raised. I dashed forward and our attacks collided. We then separated and I dashed at it again, aiming for it's chest. The monster instantly grabbed my arm and raised my up high before spinning around and throwing me straight at the temple doors.

Due to me crystallizing my whole body I didn't feel too much pain from the impact, but that didn't matter to me much as was fighting this thing and keep the girls from getting killed.

"C'mon Kameron. Kick it's ass!" Chelsea called out.

"Yeah. Thanks for the confidence." I sarcastically replied as I then got up and ran to my target.

When I got close I suddenly felt something grab onto my shoulders, lifting me off of the ground. I looked up and saw another monster. This one was yellow with long wild blue hair. It's eyes were green and had short horns on it's head. It had wings the size of a pterodactyl and I saw a Gemstone located on it's chin.

This beast took me high into the air before commencing a backflip and flew straight down at great speeds, releasing me and making me crash into the ground.

I groaned and slowly picked myself up before I heard loud screams echo into my ears. I turned to where they came from and saw the big monster hold the girls in it's hands while turning to me.

"Please don't eat my flesh! I'm not eatable!" Angela cried as she wiggled herself in it's grasp.

"Let me go you jackass!" Chelsea added with the same results.

The other Oni landed near it's companion and both roared at me.

 _Great... One is bad enough and two is a challenge. Charoite said that she and the Jihi clan were able to decrease their numbers. I hope these two are the last ones._

Before I was able to make a move both monsters howled in what looked like pain before the red one got pushed forward, releasing the girls.

From here I saw my sister and Midori exit from the temple and in a instant my sister rushed toward the yellow monster and kneed him in the back of the head, making him tumble to the ground just like the other one.

"Sorry for keeping you guys waiting. Hope we're not late to the party?" My sister asked through her bandanna.

"Just in time." I replied as I quickly got over to the girls. "Are you two okay?"

"I...I think so." Angela said nervously as I helped her up along with her sister.

"I'm more than okay. That was sick from what I just saw and how your sister just show up and pounded that Oni." Chelsea expressed, even after she was just in danger.

Before I could respond to either of them I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to see my sister before she pointed forward at the monsters. I looked at them as they were getting up with the yellow one taking flight.

"Kameron. As much as your Crystallization is strong, I'm afraid we're gonna have to try something else."

"What did you have in mind?" I asked as I reverted to normal.

"Iolite." She answered.

My eyes widened and my face immediately felt warmer as soon as she said that name. It's been a long time since she's been around, but in a situation like this, I wasn't so sure.

"You sure?"

"Yes." She answered before turning to Midori. "Midori. Can you get these things away from the temple?"

"Of course, but why?" She asked.

"I've got an idea and it requires my brother's participation. It'll take us a few short minutes and I really need you to buy us some time."

I looked at Midori and I couldn't read her expressions, but she soon nodded and began dashing toward the monsters, throwing shurikens at them. At certainly caught their attention and made them chase after her through the forest.

"Okay. Ready?" Char asked as she walked over to the other of me from a distance.

"Uh, Char. We've got people watching." I pointed out due to the girls.

"Let them." She simply replied. "Girls. Allow me and my dear brother show you just how strong our bond really is." She added while looking at them.

I looked at them as they raised eyes at me. I then turned to my sister who was smiling at me as I took a breath and exhaled. I then raised my right arm, causing my Gem to start glowing. My sister placed her hands on her hips and her hair started to flow, allowing me to see her Gem now that her bangs weren't fully covering them at the moment. I then started rocking my feet and legs back and forth, getting a rhythm going while circling my arms and doing a spin.

My sister slowly moved her hands from her hips to her chest and her hair. She spun a few times and posed, grinning at me and giving me her soft eye. When we got close I placed my right hand on her waist and my left around her back. She placed both her arms around my neck and we slowly placed our heads against one another while moving back and forth. Our eyes never left each other and as we moved our bodies came close as she then placed her hands around my back. We stopped and she wrapped one of her legs around mine. We both closed our eyes and as our gems radiated more I could feel ourselves merging together.

* * *

 **Iolite**

As the light started to fade I started to stretch out my arms, getting out a few moans here and there.

"Mmm. Oh yeah, it feels so good to be back."

When I opened my eye I looked at the girls who looked a bit surprised judging by their expressions and seeing Angela flustered.

"You two okay?"

"Uhh...yeah. What just happened and who are you?" Angela asked.

"Me, baby? I'm Iolite. I'm the fusion of Kameron and his sister Charoite. Anything else?"

"That was quite a show those two put on." Chelsea said, unsure on how to process this.

"I know. It might have been a bit too much judging by your expressions, but that's how things work, honey. And before I go..." I replied before I stomped on the ground.

In doing so large indigo crystals started forming around the girls and the temple.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Chelsea asked as she placed her hands on the crystals.

"A little protection for all of you just in case. It may be a bit extreme, but I'll put it down when I come back."

"C'mon. Why can't we see you kick some serious tail?"

"Sis. It's for the best." Angela ensured. "Go. And please be careful." She said to me.

"Always am. Later."

I then disappeared from their eyes before rushing off to find Midori.

* * *

Through the forests I quickly ran passed every bamboo tree and soon heard a scream, making me pick up to pace. When I got toward a certain area I saw Midori kneeled down with her mask destroyed and her uniform bashed up as well as her sword laying on the ground a few feet from her. Her face showed small amounts of blood and she was breathing pretty breath while trying to get up, but no avail.

The red and yellow monsters slowly approached her until I stepped in, throwing my kunais near their feet and halting their movements.

"Slow down, boys. If you wanna play with someone I'm free." I said as I revealed myself to them in a pose.

"Who...who are you?" Midori asked weakly.

"Save your strength. And can I borrow your sword for a moment?" I replied, turning my head to her.

She raised an eyebrow to me and look at the sword before giving me a nod. I smiled and quickly picked it up before rushing over to the Oni.

When I approached the red one it attempted to slash at me, but I slid under it's legs before jumping up and slashed the sword. The Oni looked at each other until the red one's horns broke off, having the pieces land near it's feet. It growled and it's partner took flight before charging at me. I lifted my bandanna up over my mouth and placed the sword near my chest. When the Oni came close it tried to attack, but I quickly jumped into the air, vanishing into the moonlight.

The yellow Oni soared higher and looked for me, and boy was he in for a big surprise.

"Sayonara!" I yelled.

It looked upward as I reappeared before I flipped and cut the sword deep across it's chest. When I landed the Oni screamed before it exploded with it's Gemstone landing right into my hand.

The red one stared at me and suddenly back away.

"No! There is no escape!"

I then dashed toward it and passed through it's chest. I then turned around and pierced the sword into it's back, causing it to tumble forward and fall. I then pulled my sword out and placed it directly above it's head, causing it to look at me as I narrowed my eye.

"This is for the Jihi Clan!"

I then thrusted the blade into it's head, making it cry in pain before it ultimately exploded. I picked up the Gemstone and placed both it and the other in a bubble before sending it away.

I then turned to Midori and helped her up.

"Thank you." She said before coughing up some blood.

"I'm so sorry for putting you though this. Thank you for buying us time and I promise to help you get back on your feet."

"You didn't...answer my question from before. Who are you?" She asked.

"It's hard to explain, but let's go back and I'll tell you everything."

We then started moving as I placed her around my shoulder. It was stupid to make her fight two Gem monsters by herself. But...at the same time, she's okay, and it's all over now.

 **End of Chapter 7.**

 **I apologize for keeping you waiting on this one. This took longer than expected.**

 **Hope you all are well and I'll see you all soon for the next chapter. :)**


	8. Sweet and Sorrow

**Enjoy.**

Chapter 8: Sweet and Sorrow

 _There we go. A little more detail here, a bit more shading there, and...it all comes together._

I placed my colored pencil down and stretched out my lips as I observed my illustration. It took about a week and half to bring this to life, not to mention being busy with homework, hanging out with friends, and going on missions that expanded it. However, that didn't really bother me. To be honest, I think everyone is gonna love this tomorrow; a lot of effort, inspiration, motivation, and my own tears were placed into this. Even my own soul.

Seconds later I heard knocks on my door.

"Kameron? Dinner's ready." The voice said from the other side.

"Okay. I just need to wash up."

I didn't hear a response, so I assumed she left. I then took a large white cloth and covered my masterpiece up, afterwards I put everything away and exited my room to get ready for dinner.

* * *

Tonight was Tuesday, and Tuesday's were grilled chicken Parmesan and broccoli. One of my favorite dishes.

At the table I dived into my meal after thanking my mother and fell into the wonderful world of heaven. There was nothing better than to enjoy a hot meal after completing long hours of work or on a project. It just made it taste better just as it was around people.

"So, Kameron. How was school today?" My mom asked.

I chewed up the remains of my food before swallowing and answering, "Pretty good. Same old, same old. But I'm really excited for tomorrow."

"What's happening tomorrow?" My dad asked.

"The Art Club that I'm in is hosting a small art show during lunch. I've finished up my entry and all I've gotta do is turn it in to and he'll be setting it up throughout the morning."

"That's sounds nice. Can we see what you've created after dinner?" Azurite asked.

I nodded and took a sip of water from my glass before placing it back down and swallowing.

"Can I go to the art show?" Lepidolite asked.

"No." Everyone, including me instantly replied.

She immediately narrowed her eyes and puffed out her cheeks. "Why not?"

"Because Kameron goes ta 'high school' now, not 'elementary' school. It'd be a tad weird for folks there to see a child followin' her brother around." Amber explained.

Lepidolite groaned, "I'm not a child. And I'll be on my best behavior."

"What about when a mission pops up and we might need your help with it?" Pyrope questioned.

"I can be in more than one place, remember?"

Lepidolite then out from her seat and started glowing a pink aura around her. Within seconds two replicas of her walked straight out from her sides, placing a hand on different sides of their hips while the original placed both hands. Even to this day I still couldn't believe she had this ability in her disposal. I even used this power a few times myself and at first it was weird and kinda strange, but it kinda breaks the rules where you had to make choices to go somewhere and be everywhere at once.

"How about me and Lefty stay with you all while Original goes with Kameron? It's a piece a cake." The Right Lepidolite suggested.

"The answer is still no, Lepidolite. That's final." My mom told her.

The trio of Lepidolites stared at everyone before lowering their heads to the ground. Each of them started shaking a bit before the grand finale took it's toll on each of us.

 **"AHHHHHH! YOU ALL HATE ME!"** They each screamed before two more replicas appeared.

I flinched and covered my ears from her wail. Unfortunately, this was only the beginning. The Original started jumping up and down rapidly, one fell on the floor and wiggled her legs while pounding her arms on her floor, one jumped on the couch and bounced repeatedly, and the last two just fell on their knees. Each of them cried out loudly and it was just completely irritating, especially since my little is over a 1,000 years and is throwing large tantrum just because she couldn't get to with me to the art show.

I turned my attention to the others and they weren't doing so well either. Each of then placed her hands over their ears while expressing irritated looks.

 **"YOU ALL HATE ME! YOU ALL DON'T LOVE ME! IT'S NOT FAIR! IT'S NOT FAIR! I WANNA GO! I WANNA GO! I WANNA GO!"**

Her cries and her wails started getting louder and louder, which reminding me of the earthquake Citrine pulled off from losing his hammer weeks ago. I had to stay strong and resist this, all of us. Whenever she doesn't get her way on certain things she always resorts to this as a final trump card. As I trembled from a massive sound waves I clenched my teeth and slammed my hands on the table.

 **"OKAY!"** I screamed from the top of my lungs.

Each Lepidolite stopped with what they were doing and approached me as I took a breathe and exhaled with an added groan. "Okay. You can come with me. Just for the sake of heaven, stop crying."

They all grew smiles from response before tackling me straight to the floor. Each one of them then hugged a different part of my body, ranging from my head to my legs.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love you so much." The main one said before repeatedly kissing my cheeks.

I groaned and looked to my left to see everyone looking me in my certain state. "Amber. Please shoot me."

"Sorry, hun. I'm not obligated to use mah guns on ya." She replied with a small chuckle.

"You don't even use real bullets."

"Same rules applied."

I groaned mentally while still feeling the love of my sister.

 _Why do I get the feeling tomorrow is gonna be a long day?_

* * *

I had my dad take me to school again to me being unable to carry my work on my back with by backpack. It was alright, but the real kicker was how my sister was dressed. She wore a small schoolgirl uniform that was white with a yellow ribbon tie around her chest and a black skirt with white high-knee socks and dress shoes. Another change she did was placing her hair in a ponytail, telling me that it'd made her look more presentable.

Minutes later after a long quiet ride we finally made it to my school. To my and my dad's surprise, Lepidolite was quiet throughout the ride while looking out the window smiling. Guess it was to show how well she was behavior for being allowed to do this, but on the other side I had a bunch things like this wasn't gonna last long.

"Now remember, Lepidolite. Stay with Kameron at all times and try not to wander off anywhere by yourself." My dad told her as me and her got out.

"Promise." She replied and gave him a hug through the door. "Love you, Green."

"I love you too. We all do, never forget that."

Once they separated I looked at my dad and we both shared a smile before he took off and left campus. With me and Lepidolite by ourselves the first thing that had to get done was the approval of Principal Owens.

* * *

We got inside and went straight to the office. Luckily for us, he was there after I knocked on the door and went inside.

"Hello there, Kameron. What brings you by this early in the morning?" He asked as he was straightening up his papers on his desk.

"Hey, Principal Owens. I'm here because I wanted to ask you something involving my sister." I replied.

I moved to the side to reveal her to him as she walked a few steps forward. "Hi. It's nice to meet you, sir." She said while raising her hand to him.

He chuckled a little before taking a seat and shaking her hand. "It's nice to meet you too, little one. But shouldn't you be at your school around this time?"

 _Yeah. That would be the case if it wasn't for the fact that she doesn't go to a school and spends most of her time helping the world or playing with stuffed animals._

"I'm home schooled. And I wanted to come see the art show with my brother if that's okay? I promise not to cause any trouble." She said as she held onto her stuffed panda she brought along.

Principal Owens thought about it for a short moment as he turned his attention to me and back at my sister. He hummed for a little and made his final decision, "Okay. I can't say 'no' to a cute little gumdrop like this. However, be sure to watch her, ."

"Trust me. She won't be leaving my sight for the whole day."

* * *

Now that everything was in the clear the next thing to do was drop off my entry for the show and get prepared for 1st period. We made our way to the art building and I noticed a few other portraits covered in white cloths when going inside. I didn't see around, so I placed my entry next to the others and placed a sticker on it with my name tagged in.

Once that was taken care of we made our way back to the main building toward my locker.

"You're school is very big." She told me.

"Yeah. It was made in 1865. It's been around for decades." I replied.

"Can I hold your hand, please?"

I looked at her as she smiled. I rolled my eyes back and took her right hand into my left. Good thing I'm still wearing my bandages, don't really want her power right now.

We approached my locker and as we released our hands I opened up the door and replaced the things I didn't need from my back with the ones I did. When that was done I turned to my graffiti board and looked down at her as she viewed it with wide eyes.

"You drew all of this?"

"Yeah. Depending on my mood I draw whatever I'm thinking about."

She observed a few of them and asked if she could put in something. I shrugged and took the board off before handing it to her along with a colored pencil. She handed me her stuffed animal as she started drawing. When she was done she showed me her creation. To be fair, anybody could make something as simply as what she made, but I decided not to say that and smile before placing my board back.

I closed my locker door and gave her back her panda. She snuggled into it before gasping and running passed me.

"Angela!"

I quickly turned around when she said that to get the full view of my sister tackling Angela with a embrace. Luckily Angela didn't fall to the ground as I approached her along with Chelsea. Things between the three of us are actually going well after the whole thing in Kyoto. Granted, Angela was terrified, but she managed to calm down during dinner. Chelsea on the other hand was a different story. She was completely overjoyed and told us and I quote "That was the most badass thing I've ever been through it my life." Even though she was grabbed by a large red Gem Monster.

"Hey girls."

"Hello Kameron." Angela replied before her and Lepidolite separated. "Why is your little sister here?"

"I'm here to see the art show." Lepidolite answered.

"Umm... Are you sure this is okay?" Angela asked me.

"Yeah. I told her no and she managed to convince me until I caved in and brought her. Principal Owens is cool with it."

"He's really nice." Lepidolite said. "And what do you think about my outfit?" She added while giving out a twirl.

"I for one think you're adorable." Angela said while softly rubbing her head.

"Eh. You look okay." Chelsea said.

Lepidolite then puffed up her cheeks and walked up to Chelsea, "You don't like cute things like me?"

"Never said that. And cute things and me don't really go together."

Lepidolite thought about it for a moment before shrugging and coming toward my side, holding my hand. I looked at her and she shot me a innocent smile.

"Well... Let's get this over with." I said as we all started walking forward.

* * *

First period: Mathematics.

"Everyone, listen up." My teacher announced. "Kameron. Care to introduce us to this adorable angel?"

I groaned mentally from that remark. "Everyone. This is my little sister, Lepidolite, and she's going be with me today for the art show."

I looked at my sister as she waved at everyone around class. Almost everyone instantly fell in love with her before I went to pull out a chair and placed it next to my desk and took my seat with her right next to me.

"When is the art show?" She asked me.

"Around lunch time. In four hours." I replied.

She slouched in her seat and held her panda against her head. As for me, I pulled out my notebooks and a few pencils to get ready for today's assignments. Even thought she was gonna be bored with sitting in my morning classes with almost nothing to do, at least she kept her word to behave.

* * *

 **Lepidolite**

I've kept my word. I promised to behave. For the most part, it was totes boring as heck.

To be honest I was able to draw during my brother's next class. A lot of teenagers kept staring at me due to my cuteness, and who can blame them? At times I get kinda tired and annoyed whenever this happens, including when anyone mentions by height. I never let it bother me though as long as I was able to do something.

My brother's next class was so boring. I kept my eyes open for at least half of what his teacher was explaining, but at the second half I just fell asleep holding in my arms. A loud noise burst through my ears and made me fall to the floor. My brother asked me if I was alright to which I nodded as he gave me his hand to help me up.

"Alright sis. The art show is starting up, but before we go I want to get some lunch first." He told me while packing up.

"Finally! All that waiting and boredom paid off."

He chuckled from my response before I took his hand when we walked out together.

* * *

The next place my brother took me was called the cafeteria. It was so big and ginormous I couldn't even wonder how long it took them to build it. I asked him, but he wasn't sure himself which I didn't mind, but I guessed it was a really, really long time before they started installing staff and students in.

"Lepidolite. I need you to stay right here, okay? I'm gonna come back after me and the girls go through the line to get some food." Kameron said when we got to a table.

"Okay. Hurry back."

He nodded and walked away with the girls following him.

I sat next to the edge of our table while bringing up to my face so we could play a wittle. means so much to me even seen my brother gave him to me as a gift. I've loved him ever since, but my love for him will never ever compare itself to the love I share with my family. As I played with I couldn't help but think about my brother some more. I looked over to see him getting his food and grabbing a big carton of chocolate milk from a container.

He then came walking up to me and sat next to me. Angela sat across from me and Chelsea sat next to her. Next to my brother was Lars and Sadie. I met them a few times when me and Kameron went to get doughnuts from The Big Doughnut. Lars was okay, but sometimes he acts a little mean. Sadie is very nice and even offered me free sample doughnuts one time.

"Hi, Lars. Sadie."

"Hey, Lepidolite. Nice to see you." Sadie as she looked over to my direction.

"You too,"

"Dude, why is your little sister here?" Lars asked my brother.

"She wanted to come. I told her no, she whined, I caved in and gave her what she wanted." He replied.

"Ouch. Was it that bad?"

"Trust me. It makes nails on a chalkboard sound better then hearing her screams."

I puffed up my cheeks and tugged onto his shirt. He looked at me and was even phased from my expression, "I don't scream that loud."

"You kinda do to get whatever you want." He replied.

I turned away from him and lowered my hand below the table before looking at my Gem in my right palm and bringing out one of my favorite treats: ' Lollipops. I unwrapped it and placed it in my mouth, allowing the tremendous and everlasting flavors enter my tongue. They are so yummy and I couldn't help myself to hum and moan from how good they were. It was heaven...

"Uh... Are you okay, Lepidolite?" My brother asked.

I looked at me and the others giving out strange and smiling expressions to me.

"I'm okay. Are you done eating yet?"

"Almost. Be a little more patient."

I pulled out my treat and groaned. Before I could say anything else, another voice came up.

"Aww. You are so adorable."

I turned my head to where it was coming from and I saw this girl with long red hair. She looked beautiful and her outfit really looked nice. In fact... She might just be the one.

"Hey, Scarlett." My brother announced.

"Hey. Mind if I join you guys?" She asked.

I looked at my brother and the others to see a few different reactions. Lars was giving out a thumbs up, Chelsea was slicing her finger across her neck, and both Angela and Sadie just shrugged. I myself didn't mind at all.

"Sure. The more the merrier." He said.

Scarlett then sat next to me and smiled at me. I was for certain that this is the one. It took a lot of waiting for the perfect moment and now that it's here I can execute it with just the right words and just the right time.

"So what's your name?" She asked.

"I'm Lepidolite. I'm Kameron's sister."

"Aww. Kameron, I never knew your sister would be this cute." She said to him.

I looked at him as he shot a small smile at me, but I knew there was something else he wanted to say about that.

"Scarlett? Can I show you something?" I asked.

She nodded. I then gave my brother before getting up and standing on the table. "Everyone! Can I have your attention please?!" I shouted.

Everyone else stopped with what they were doing and saying while turning all of their eyes on me. I know I'm not suppose to do this, but it was officially time and the moment was right.

"I'm Lepidolite. And I'm going to be your entertainer today before seeing the art show." I said before looking down at my brother holding my friend. "Kameron. Put on my favorite song."

He pulled out his phone and pulled up what I asked him before it started blasting through the cafeteria.

(Circus by Britney Spears)

I backflipped from the table I was standing on and landed perfectly on the ground before I began my cartwheels. Five were my limit as I moved to the left and started showing off some twirls until I jumped up and completed a full and perfect somersault. Once I landed on the floor I bent my body back and kicked the air while spinning. I kept this up for three times until I placed both hands on the floor and lifted myself up until I began walking on my hands.

I spread out my legs and spun around. Then I lowered my lower half of my body and quickly spun my legs before laying them down. And for my grand finale I bent backwards with my arms and pushed up until I was in the air once more. I then started jogging and performed a cartwheel with three backflips until I pushed myself against the floor and jumped into the air for the last time, landing directly near my brother and his friends on the table they were at.

(Song End)

The song finished up as everyone stared at me quietly. I got a little worried from going too far, but then I heard someone clapping. I looked down and saw my brother doing it along with his friends joining it. Then more clapping started echoing through my ears with some added applause. I felt my lips stretch out as much as could while feeling water around my eyes. It's been so long since I've entertained a crowd the way I wanted to...and they loved what I've done.

I took a short bow and jumped off the table. I then asked for back from my brother and he gladly gave it to me.

"Now can we go to the art show?"

"Alright. Let me throw away my tray and we can go." He replied while getting up.

"Yay. And I want Scarlett to come with us if that's okay."

He froze in place from what I asked and looked at Scarlett, who looked just as surprised as he was.

"Uh...sure. I don't mind." She answered.

* * *

 **Kameron**

I wasn't sure why my sister wanted Scarlett to join us for this, but I couldn't really decline this in front of her. Lars, Sadie, and Angela were okay with me leaving while Chelsea just narrowed her eye at me. I wasn't sure why, but I couldn't ask what was wrong as Lepidolite was literally pulling my arm to get out of the cafeteria.

The three of us walked toward the gym where it was being held at and as soon as we got inside my mind was blown away from what I was seeing. I was caught in a full observation of other artists and there illustrations. Each piece that caught my attention ranged from interesting, creative, strange, influential, and original. I felt pretty happy to fall into the path of art.

"Brother, look. I see your drawing." Lepidolite said.

I quickly shook my head and looked at her before turning to what I made. We all walked up to it and I looked at both Scarlett's and Lepidolite's expressions. Both of them grew smiles of awe.

"Wow. You made this?" Scarlett asked me.

"Y-Yeah..." I replied while looking away and rubbing the back of my head.

"Kameron, this is so well made. This looks like a professional made it."

"I'm actually more of a amateur."

"Amateur? A full picture of a mother panda and her kids together in a bamboo forest eating is considered amateur?"

I wasn't too sure how to react from that response. Just as I was about to answer, another voice interrupted me.

"Scarlett, what kind of boys do you like?"

The both of us looked at my sister after she said that.

"Uh...why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering?" Lepidolite replied.

"Well... I like guys who are cute, caring, and unique in there own ways."

"Do you like my brother?"

My eyes immediately widened from hearing that. I looked at Scarlett who seem a little surprised as I was, and I had to do something about this. "Hey, sis. Look! There's something over there that you've gotta see."

I took her arms and kinda dragged her with me as Scarlett raised an eyebrow at me for the sudden move. No matter what, I really didn't want to do this right now, especially if this was leading to where I think it's leading.

I took my sister near a painting of a majestic phoenix before letting her go.

"What give?" She asked.

"What give? What are you doing?"

"I wanted to see if Scarlett liked you. You two seem perfect together."

I groaned mentally and placed my right hand on my face before sliding it off. Was she really serious about this?

"Sis, we talked about this. I'm not looking for a girlfriend."

"Why not? It wouldn't hurt to have one."

"My mind is in other places right now than there. I've got other things to think about than dating. There are more important things in life then doing that."

My sister widened her eyes from hearing that. We've been over this a hundred times ever since I started high school and she hasn't stopped asking me about it. My other sisters and even my mom would mention it from time to time, but her? She brings it up whenever she wants or even drops it at any time and I get why she does it, but I'm really interested in it.

Lepidolite lowered her head, her hair covering her eyes while holding onto her stuffed animal tightly. I felt a little tense from this and got a little worried she was going to do her 'whiny' routine to get her away again. This was not the place or the time for that, and if she decides to do that I'm gonna have to quickly get her out of here to avoid making another scene.

" _I'm sorry."_

I lightly gasped from hearing that. Did...did her voice just change?

" _I just wanted you to find love too. I didn't mean to bug you so much about it."_

I was still a bit taken back from hearing this mature and soothing sorrowful voice coming from my little sister. It felt like I was talking to a completely different person.

"S-Sis, I already have love. From my friends, my family, and you."

She raised her head and looked me straight in the eye. " _That's not what I meant. I do understand that protecting the world and doing good in school is important. But that shouldn't be the only thing for you to have on your mind. You're still young, Kameron. You're fifteen. This is the most important part of your life where a teenager should be making memories, hang out with their friends a lot, and eventually find romance with a certain someone. You? You just hangout with your friends when you have the time, train with us and get better at your abilities, and think dating is wasteful. I just want you to find love like that soon."_

I slightly frowned from hearing this. This was the reason, huh?

"Lepidolite. You should already know that I'm not a 'normal' teenager. And I get what you're trying to do, but... I can't find love like that. I can't just walk up to a girl and ask her out. Eventually they'll find out about my secret and will be worried to death about my safety and wonder if I'll ever come back from a mission. I don't think _that_ type of love should be for me." I told her softly.

" _Yes it should. Your mom and dad are in love. Charoite is in a relationship. I've been through relationships too. I'm sure you can too. I won't push you on this anymore, but please try at least once. I'm sure your certain love will understand what you are if you and accept you. Please?"_

I looked away for a second and looked back at her. I closed my eyes and exhaled a breath. I stepped forward and opened my eyes before getting down on one knee and pulling my sister into a embrace.

"Okay, I'll try. But it has to be at my own pace. Fair?"

When we separated she smiled at me and nodded as I stood back up. "And when we get home can you tell me about this other voice of yours?"

Lepidolite lightly gasped before covering her mouth. She then removed it and nodded before we walked over toward Scarlett, who surprisingly waited patiently for us.

"Is everything okay?" She asked.

"We're okay. Just a little sibling talk. Right?" I replied and turned my head to my sister.

"Yeah." She replied, using her giggly and cute voice again. "C'mon, we've still got more things to look at. And I'm sorry for dragging you here too, Scarlett."

"It's okay. I don't really mind at all. Plus this'll give me and your brother some time to get to know each other if he wants too." She said, turning her head from my sister to me.

"I don't mind at all." I replied with a small smile.

 **End of chapter 8.**

 **Sorry for keeping you all waiting. Hope you all enjoyed this.**

 **See you all soon. Side Note: The song I added here. I do not own. It belongs to it's rightful owner and is optional to use here if you want to.**


	9. A Heart Within Darkness

Hello **everyone. I hope you all are doing well.**

 **The reason I've changed Onyx's voice actor was I felt that this new voice sounded better and fit a little more with his personality.**

 **Enjoy. Warning: This chapter will be kinda depressing and upsetting.**

Chapter 9: A Heart Within Darkness

Bats. Creatures of the night. By day they rest and sleep. By night, they awaken and travel in search for food. Most of these creatures are harmless and just want to be left alone. However, some are dangerous and when provoked they swarm all around and attack their prey. Some bats desire fruit as their diet while others like the vampire bat drink blood from other animals.

Tonight, however, me and my brother Onyx are dealing with a new species of bats that aren't friendly at all and just plain dangerous.

The good news was that there wasn't a large amount of them. The bad news, we were taking care of them in a populated town near a cemetery, but thankfully the civilians have hid in their homes while we handled this. I gripped my blade with both hands and narrowed my eyes at my targets who were airborne while I was standing on a roof. My brother was taking care of his share from the other side of where I was and for the most part we had a disadvantage as we were now back to back with three large bat creatures coming at us from both directions.

"Onyx. Speed or portal hopping?" I asked, turning my head to the side to look at him.

He didn't respond as the bats charge at us. Once they all got close I was about to jump out of the way until I heard a snap and felt nothing under me before falling down. I shut my eyes as I fell and quickly reopened them as I landed on my butt on a different rooftop with my brother standing in front of me. As I got up I walked over to the ledge from where he was and saw the bats laying down on the roof we were from, groaning in pain.

"You could've warned me that you were gonna do that, ya know?"

"Apologizes. I needed to distances ourselves. And to answer your question from earlier, I prefer speed." He replied.

He then turned his face to me and raised his left hand to his head, pushing his up and showing me his Gemstone. I raised my left hand and touched it, causing a black light to erupt from my Gem and change it's color. Once I removed it and he removed his hand we turned back to our targets.

"Ready to do this, hermano?" I asked with a grin turning to him.

"Si. Let's dispatch these murcielagos." He replied with the same deadpan and emotionless tone I know.

I nodded as we got to work. When we instantly returned to the bats we each took our groups of three and I quickly disappeared and reappeared above one, jamming my blade through it's chest and causing it to poof. When the others saw this they took flight and gain the upper hand again, but bad news for them, that wasn't gonna happen again.

I disappeared again and reappeared above another one, but instead of repeating my actions I crashed into it, slamming the both of us onto the ground. I got off of it as it hissed at me and ran toward me, slashing it's wings at me. Normally a bat's wings are meant for flight only, but these guys use them in another way. I dodged the first few attacks and backflipped from the third attack, noticing it completely slicing a tombstone in half.

 _Gotta watch out for those._

When I returned to the ground I disappeared again, causing the bat to look around in confusion before I reappeared to it's side, amputating it's right arm and cutting through it's torso. When it poofed I took it's Gemstone and looked at the last one who started to fly away.

"I don't think so." I muttered as I went after it.

This thing wasn't gonna escape as I reappeared in the moonlight and grabbed onto it, wrapping my arms around it's neck. It kept on hissing while flapping it's wings and moving around to throw me off as I tightened my grip. As we kept moving an idea popped in my head as I pulled it's head up, causing it to ascend.

Once we were at the altitude I wanted I pulled it's head back more, causing both of us to fall from a large grade of height. While falling I closed my eyes to concentrate on what I was about to do until the both of us instantly disappeared before hitting the ground and reappeared in the cemetery, allowing me to remove myself from it as it crashed near a grave, avoiding any damage to another tombstone.

I was able to catch my breath and run to the creature as it was down before shoving my blade through it's back, causing it to screech and explode. It's Gemstone landed in the dirt before I picked it up and placed all three Gems in a bubble before sending them away.

 _That takes care of my share. Let's see if Onyx is okay with his._

Just as I was about to run off to help my brother he immediately appeared in front of me, causing me to yelp and fall on my butt again.

"Ugh. Seriously, man?" I groaned while getting up.

"Apologizes. I've successfully took care of the bat creatures and haven't suffered any critical damage. How about you?" He replied.

"Same." I said as I viewed the area, "Kinda messed up this place a little bit, but didn't go too overboard."

He looked around from where we were standing and placed his attention back to my face. "I see. Let us return home then."

* * *

Back to the Outskirts of Beach City. It was nightfall here as it was from our previous location and it felt both disturbing and soothing at the same time.

We returned to my room and I felt exhausted from both the mission and due to the fact of how late it was. I checked my phone to see that it was midnight. I was a bit surprised from how long we were out, but it didn't really bother me since it was a Friday and sleeping in tomorrow was gonna feel great.

"Brother." Onyx called as I placed my sword next to my closet door.

"Yeah?"

"Are you occupied tomorrow?"

I raised a eyebrow to him before responding, "No... I didn't have any plans in advance. Why?"

He placed both hands in his pockets and spoke, "May you accompany me tomorrow? I'm going to see my wife and I would like for you to see her."

It felt like time stopped as my eyes widened from hearing those words. I didn't know what to say and all of this just dropped on me all of a sudden. A wife? My brother has a wife that I didn't know about until now? It all started to make sense as I didn't see him that often around the house. I would ask him where he was and he'd just tell me that it was somewhere he was needed. I..wasn't even sure I could answer this.

"Brother?"

"Uh...your wife?" I replied as I snapped out of my trance.

He nodded. "Yes. I apologize again. I can understand that you may have a lot of questions and wonders about this. For that, I will answer each of them."

"Okay. First of all, how come you didn't tell me you had a wife? Do the others know about this?"

"Yes. They know about her except you. I've wanted to introduce you to her for a while, however, I couldn't make the time nor create a day where that could be possible."

"Why not?"

"It'll be better for me to show you tomorrow. You must be angry with me for keeping this a secret for so long. I don't blame you for that and I'll accept your anger."

To be fair, I was mad at him for this, but at the same time I felt like I couldn't get mad at him either. There had to be a reason for this and I want to see her too now that that came into my curiosity.

"I'm sure you had your reasons for keeping this from me, Onyx. I'm not that mad and I don't mind going with you tomorrow."

He just stared at me for a few seconds and raised his right hand, clutching it into a fist and pointing it at me. I looked down at it and back to him, raising up my own right hand and making it into a fist before slowly colliding it with his. I looked at him and grinned while he himself didn't really show anything. Despite this, I could tell he was happy on the inside even though he doesn't show that much emotion on the outside.

Our fists then separated as he then turned to go to my door.

"We will be leaving by sunrise. Go ahead and rest. I'll wake you when the time is near."

He then grabbed the handle of my door and turned it, opening it and leaving while quietly closing it behind him.

I then began putting on my sleepwear and get ready for a decent amount of sleep.

* * *

Transylvania. A country known for being the origin of almost every horror movie monster and being you could possibly imagine. From North America, Transylvania may come off as a cursed place and full of things nobody would dare see or talk about. For me, I'm not really a big horror movie fan or like horror movies, however I did enjoy and got interested in Gothic architecture and illustrations thanks to my brother. It got me to see that amazing things can look cool after dark, and that the night always had something to offer toward the individual who wanted something new.

Unfortunately, I couldn't express too much gratitude coming here due to the fact that I had to wake up early. It was incredibly strange being here because back home the sun was coming up, but here it was Dusk. I couldn't blame Onyx for this too much because he had a distaste for the light. I wasn't sure why, but whenever it was daylight out he would always be seen wearing a hood to cover his head. It just follows how he is, I guess.

As of now we've made it to the outskirts of a nearby village from a distance. Though it was getting dark again, small amounts of light emitted from a few lampposts in the village before the sun completely disappeared from our sights. I found it strange that I was just in Mexico and now I'm in Transylvania at nightfall. Just a typical thing whenever I'm with Onyx.

"Follow me." He said as he walked forward into the village.

I listened and walked close to him. As I did my eyes started looking around from one direction to the other as I observed the houses and buildings of the town. Sure some were small, but the texture and the layouts filled my mind with so many things I could work with when I get back home. But that wasn't really important right now.

Some of the civilians we passed gave us some glances. Some gave us smiles and a few gave out raised eyebrows. My best guess was they were wondering about me since I wasn't from here and I was going to say hello, but since this was a different country I had a hunch they wouldn't understand what I was saying.

"We're here."

I stopped in my tracks next to him and came across something that made me be glad to be alive. Right in front of us lied the biggest building in the village. It was dull gray and had a few cross symbols placed on the door and on a large tower in the middle of it. There were some statues of gargoyles near the top and three angels at the bottom spreading their wings. Overall, this looked amazing.

"Is this a church?" I asked.

"A cathedral. It's similar, but different." He replied as he walked up to the door.

He knocked on it a few times as I walked forward. We waited for any response and moments later the left side of the door opened. As it did a little girl came out from it's side. She had white hair styled in pig-tails, violet eyes, a small gray dress, and had on flattops.

"Hello, Maria." He said to her.

"Papa?"

Papa? I looked at him and back at her. More and more questions began to approach my consciousness.

"Yes. It is me."

She grew a small smile and moved pass the door toward him, wrapping her arms around his midsections. He placed his hands on her shoulders and looked at her as she was embracing him, and as much as I wanted to say something about this I thought it'd be best to just let them have their moment as a smile formed on my face.

She then released him and turned her attention on me, "Papa, who is this?"

"This is Kameron. My brother." He replied before turning his head to me, "Kameron, this is Maria. She's an orphan who's been living here ever since I found her during a storm one night. She has adopted me as her father."

Ohh... Foster father.

"Nice to me you, Maria." I said as I raised my hand to her.

She looked at it and at me. She looked a little timid, but raised up her hand and placed it in mine. We shook a few times and eventually released our grips on each other.

"Maria. How is mama? And where are Simon and Alexia?" He asked.

"Mama isn't getting better. She keeps coughing. And Simon and Alexia are upstairs with her."

My brother looked at me and back to Maria before stepping inside. Judging from Maria saying 'getting better' I could already guess what the issue was on why I've never met the wife of my brother.

* * *

 **Onyx**

As soon as I went inside I went upstairs, guiding Kameron and Maria with me. This cathedral was incredibly massive and the stairwells were large, but that didn't matter so much to me. Citrine and Azurite were helpful into joining me to create this. A place to call home when you have nowhere left to be. That's what she told me when it was finished and to this day, it still holds up.

Up through the endless stairs we made it up to a hall filled with doors from left to right and a window at the very end of it. I then walked to the left to see a massive door far different to the rest and opened it. Inside my sight showed me three figures all around the room. The first one was another girl who had long violet hair and orange eyes. She wore a black shirt with jeans and old sneakers. One of her most distinctive features was her earrings as they were skulls with diamonds on their nostrils.

The second figure was male, younger than the other girl. He had short dirty blonde hair, hazel eyes, and wore a white shirt with dark blue suspenders and old shoes. His distinctive feature was his front teeth from how they always show themselves, even when he closes his mouth.

The last one was laying in a bed. She had long brunette hair, blue eyes, her skin looked paler, and she wore sleep clothing while sitting up with a pillow giving her back support. No matter how much I look at her it always reminded me of when she changed my life.

"Onyx?" The brunette said with her soft and gentle voice.

I walked up to her bedside, not sparing a word to anyone. She looked at me and her smile started to come in.

"Same as ever. You always let me talk first."

She weakly raised her hand to me as I grasped it with one hand before holding it with the other.

"Who is that near the door?"

"This is my brother." I replied.

I looked back at Kameron to see him quietly looking at us before walking in and approaching her bedside.

"Hello, miss." He greeted.

She chuckled lightly from him, "Honey, you don't need to be formal. I'm Cassandra."

"Nice to meet you, Cassandra. Um... I...didn't know much about you. And...are you okay?"

She smiled at him and shook her head, "No, sweetheart. I'm dying."

I looked at the shocked expression he showed to us as he lightly gasped. "D-Dying? What happened?"

"I've had this illness for a long time. I'm not sure how I've contracted it, but it's been eating away at me since I was 13."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

She started chuckling again before it turned into coughing as she covered her mouth. She coughed violently, making everyone else worry as when she removed her mouth blood appeared in the palm.

"Mama!" Maria cried as she ran up to her and held her in a embrace.

"It's okay, everyone." Cassandra replied with her best smile.

"No, it isn't. We need to get you another doctor." Alexia said with a worried tone.

"Alexia. I've had five doctors come to help me and each one told us the same results. What I have is incurable."

"No! There has to be a way to cure you! I know that there is!" Simon cried loudly.

Cassandra shook her head, causing Simon to run out from the room. Maria and Alexia went after him, leaving only me and Kameron behind.

"Kameron. Go check on the children." I asked him.

He looked a little hesitant, but nodded and walked out of the room.

"Cassandra. Are you sure this is what you want?"

"Yes. I'm positive, even if no-one else here doesn't want me to go. I also have a favor to ask you."

"Anything."

"I want...to see my family. Can you bring them here for me?"

My eyes lightly widened from her request.

"I understand that we don't see eye to eye with them, but I just want to see them one last time. Please?"

I gripped both of my hands on hers. I didn't make them too tight as I thought about this. Her parents were the real issue with this and as for her sister...I had no quarrels, she was an acception. I turned my gaze to her and this was the very last thing I can do for her. I sighed and nodded.

"Thank you, Onyx."

I leaned forward and softly kissed her cheek as a response. "I love you..."

"I love you too."

I released my hands from her and walked out of the room to complete my final objective from my beloved wife.

* * *

Belle Castle. A place I never believed I would ever visit again. This very place was what caused my relationship with Cassandra in the very beginning. She left this pitiful forsaken place to be and do whatever she desired.

I opened up a portal and gained access inside the bleak structure. As I walked forward I noticed a few guards up ahead.

"Where are Mr. and Mrs. Belle ?" I announced.

"What are you doing here? You can't jus-" The left guard said before I interrupted him.

I snapped my fingers with my left hand, causing a small portal to appear from below him, causing him to drop through as it closed up afterwards. The right guard looked at me with a scared expression as I summoned out my scythe and pointed it against his neck.

"I do not have time for delays. Where are they?"

"T-they're in the audience chambers! Just above us." He replied nervously.

I lowered my weapon from him and opened another portal to go where I needed. On the other side I caught my vision on three figures. One was slightly obese and had sideburns with a shaved head, gray eyes, and wore a suit appropriate for his condition along with gold rings on his left hand and dress shoes. The second figure was a older woman whom despite her beauty only masked her apathy for others outside of her family. She wore lipstick and makeup that complimented her neatly styled brunette hair and blue eyes. She wore a well made dress that was black with gloves and black heels to match.

The final figure was slightly shorter that the second figure and taller than the first. She had long blonde hair, green eyes, didn't wear makeup, and wore a simple blue dress with light baby blue heels. The was the woman that I trusted with Cassandra for all the times that I've been here. Her heart was pure and she was an innocent soul, not wanting to do any bad or corruptible deeds nor treating others like it's the medieval times again.

"You! How dare you come here without authorization!" The male figure said.

"You're daughter Cassandra isn't getting better. She wants to see the three of you today and at this moment." I replied.

The tall woman scoffed from my words, "Oh don't say such a thing. She is going to be fine. Her will shall keep her alive."

"Mother, this shouldn't be taken lightly." The third figure said to her before looking at me, "Onyx, is it getting worse?"

I nodded.

"Then let's go see her. All of us."

"Sophie, don't be so absurd. Cassandra and this 'Grim Reaper' are fine. We'll send out doctors from all over the world to help her with her illness." Her father rudely said.

I slowly gripped my free hand. I could not believe Cassandra had ever been related to these people who are suppose to be her parents. This is one of the reasons why me and the others have a mutual relationship with humanity. Only a few humans we can respect and in turn they respect us, but certain humans such as these shouldn't even be allowed to have families.

"Very well." I replied as I opened a portal behind me. "Sophie, you can come with me if you choose so. However, as for you two, you both shouldn't even have a family to begin with."

The mother and father looked at each other and returned their gaze to me, narrowing their eyes.

"Excuse us?! How dare you say such a thing. What could you know about families?" The mother said furiously.

"More than the both of you. I've been apart of two. Your daughter, Cassandra, is my wife. I am a brother in my second family. Your daughter was the one who taught me about the heart. She gave me a clarity as to what it was. I never understood it, and yet one day after spending a lot of time together with her I looked at the palm of my hand and there it was. From that day forward and beyond I've experience various emotions, but the actions that I've carried longer then anyone else is nothingness and mercy. If you don't follow me to see her, your souls will be forever damned to the darkest corners of hell and you will never see her again."

Both of them widened their eyes from my speech. I looked at Sophie to see her covering her mouth with tears brimming in her eyes before falling down her face. She knew I'd never eyes and from what I just said, how could it be a lie?

For a moment I waited for each of them to respond, but nothing came. I closed my eyes and turned around to walk into my portal. There isn't anything else those two care about then their own wealth and status.

"Stop!"

I heard their voices, but it was already too late.

* * *

 **Kameron**

I rushed downstairs following the three kids and found all three of them sitting together in the front row seats of the cathedral. Simon was still crying his eyes out as Alexia was comforting him with Maria by his other side. I could tell this was hard for each of them. Losing someone you care about and never being able to see them again? I couldn't even imagine that on myself and these are just kids, they can't handle situations like this yet.

Just as Simon was calming down I approached them.

"Hey everyone."

"Why are you still here?" Simon asked with a sudden glare at me.

I was a little taken back from it before replying, "I just wanted to see if you all are okay."

"No we're not. Cassandra is going to die and there's nothing we can do about it."

I closed my eyes for a moment and took a breath before exhaling and reopening them. "Listen. I don't know much about Cassandra and I just met her today, but what I can say right now is that she's a very nice woman."

"She's more then that. She's like the mother we never had. When she found each of us in our lowest points or when we were driven to the point of ending ourselves in death, she was there to stop us. And told us it wouldn't give us the true happiness we wanted." Alexia said.

"Then you all need to go see her. If today is her last day here, then she needs to be surrounded by the people she cares about. And by how you all love her, I'm sure seeing her smile is worth it all the way."

The kids looked at each other for a moment and thought about what I just said and managed to grow small light smiles before running pass me to get upstairs.

 _I hope Onyx is doing okay._

Just as I was about to join them I heard a knock on the door.

* * *

 **Onyx**

I returned to the room of my beloved and noticed her resting. I failed to bring her family with me. This was the very last thing she wanted me to do for her and I couldn't accomplish it. I might as well tell her now before it's too late.

I walked up to her bedside and placed my hand on her shoulder, slightly moving it to help her open her eyes...but she didn't. I then placed my hand on her cheek... She felt cold. My eyes widened from this before I tried one last thing, placing my hand on her heart. I raised my right hand and laid it directly in the middle of her chest, waiting for something to come. Nothing...

I heard the door open suddenly, causing me to turn my head, seeing the children, my brother, and...Cassandra's family.

"Onyx, is she..." Sophie asked before I shook my head slowly.

She ran over to her sister's corpse just as her parents followed. Simon, Alexia, and Maria started crying again while my brother remained quiet while putting his googles over his eyes.

* * *

One Week Later

Almost the whole village appeared at the funeral. The children. The Belles. My family. And myself.

We all watched the coffin be placed in the grave I made for her near a hazel nut tree we both enjoyed being around.

Without her I looked at the children, wondering who would take custody of them and surprisingly Mr. Belle agreed to take them in.

"We need to be a better family. Let me and my wife take them in." He asked me.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked.

"Yes. We drove our first daughter away. I don't want to do that to Sophie or the little ones. I know that we haven't been on good terms with each other, but I swear to you right here and now on my daughter's grave we will make sure these kids have a family they deserve."

I looked into his eyes as he said this to me. I wasn't completely convince, however I will give him a chance. Only one chance. That's what Cassandra would've wanted.

Once the funeral ended I stayed behind, watching the grave and recalling something she told me.

 _(Flashback)_

 _"You do have a heart. Never tell me you don't. I'll love you no matter what." Cassandra said as we sat together under the tree. Giving me her smile as we leaned toward one another, uniting our lips while she placed both of her hands on my face._

 _(Flashback End)_

Death... That's what it is. It's all that there is. It's inescapable. It'll come when you least expect it. The natural aspect of life. The one and only thing we truly envy the humans the most.

I then felt something fall from my face. I placed my hand over my cheek, feeling something wet on the tips of my finger.

 _Was this...a tear?_

 **End of Chapter 9.**

 **Hope you all enjoyed this. This right here is the end of the Rainbow Arc focusing through each of the Rainbow Gems.**

 **Green: The Embodiment of Will**

 **Kameron Evans: The Embodiment of Life.**

 **Amber: The Embodiment of Fear.**

 **Azurite: The Embodiment of Hope.**

 **Pyrope: The Embodiment of Rage.**

 **Citrine: The Embodiment of Avarice.**

 **Charoite: The Embodiment of Compassion.**

 **Lepidolite: The Embodiment of Love.**

 **Onyx: The Embodiment of Death.**

 **See you all soon for what's gonna happen next.**


	10. Back In My Life

**Hello everyone. Hope you all are doing well.**

 **I'm sorry for taking this long for updates, my life has gained a new change this year and I've been a little occupied.**

 **Now that you all have met each of the Rainbow Gems and see how each of them are, let's keep going forward shall we?**

 **Warning: Long chapter.**

Chapter 10: Back In My Life

"*laughs* I'm impressed you three have made it this far. Your determination and capabilities have grown well. Still... you cannot defeat me! This land will forever be cloaked in shadow and I shall lay wake a new world. One of which will fit to my liking." Said the Knight of Shadows.

"Forget it! It's over, Knight of Shadows! We've surpassed your armies. Destroyed your guards. And if you look around, annihilated your top ranked loyalists. This land will be saved and your reign ends here." Replied by Grand Knight Verde.

"No matter how tough your powers are or how much pride you have, we'll just break right through it." Added Grand Knight Bronce.

"And don't forget. You will face the consequences for the murder of King Oro and for betraying the Knights of Sanctuary." Concluded by Grand Knight Azul.

The Knight of Shadows growled at their arrogance and rose up from this throne, lifting his Blade of Darkness and raising it toward his mortal enemies: The Grand Knights. These warriors are the sole protectors of Sanctuary, guarding it with their very lives since the day each of them were chosen to become one. Their souls are what make them strong, each unique in it's own way and granting unbelievable powers by those who were destined for a chance to make a difference. The Knight of Shadows was once a great comrade with them, helping the weak and innocent, defending Sanctuary at all costs until he betrayed them.

Consumed by his own pride and dark ambitions, he murdered the very king of the land. King Oro foreseen this tragedy and allowed it to happen, not risking the change and collapse of time itself. Ever seen that day the Grand Knights have fought him and his dark hoard of evil. But now... now after years of fighting the Great Darkness, keeping Sanctuary safe and protecting Queen Plata, The Grand Knights have made it to their final destination for the final battle to begin: Edge of The World.

"Come, my friends. Let us battle to the death! For when you lose, your corpses shall be my trophies!" The Knight of Shadows said as he leaped from his throne and down to his foes.

Verde, Bronce, and Azul took their stances and gripped their ancient swords passed down to them from their mothers and fathers. This was it... This is where everything will change.

Bronce dashed forward, raising his sword up and screaming at the top of his lungs. He and the Knight clashed, but as they struggled through strength both Verde and Azul ran together and leaped into the air, releasing Soul Beams from their very blades. The Knight looked up at this and pushed Bronce away before shielding himself from the attack using Mirror Barrier and reflecting it straight back at them. The airborne knights dodged the counterattacks and traveled back to the soil of dirt. Both Verde and Bronce charged together and fired off Double Strike.

The Knight raised his sword to guard and as the attack hit him he struggled slightly to oppressed it. With minor grunts he launched the attack into the sky just before Azul knocked away his sword and slashed straight at his breastplate with full force. The attack immediately destroyed it and streams of blood erupted from his newfound scar, but that was only the beginning as Verde and Bronce jumped over Azul and attacked his head, destroying his helmet and revealing his face. White hair and dark black skin with eyes and pupils of white.

"UGH! IMPOSSIBLE! HOW CAN THE THREE OF YOU OBTAIN SO MUCH POWER?!" He demanded as he tumbled backwards.

"The Angel Goddess helped us achieve our true potentials. Now, your heart!" Bronce replied as he pierced straight into the Knight's chest.

The Knight coughed up blood, but then shortly after... he started laughing and grabbed the blade, much to the surprise of the Grand Knights. Then a dark aura erupted from his body, pushing Bronce away from him and pulling the sword from his chest.

"Imbeciles! You can't kill me! I am immortal!" He implied as he then lifted himself from the ground and into the air, making his aura grow even more.

Azul helped Bronce up just before the Knight grabbed her head and dragged it through the dirt until he raised her into the skies and slammed her down with a full force throw. Verde called out her name and rushed in to attack, however, when he came into close range the Knight grabbed his sword and punched him in the stomach, causing him to gawk through his helmet before getting blasted with a dark pulse of energy.

"Guys!" Bronce cried as he looked at them and switched his attention to the Knight. "You bastard!"

Bronce immediately ran to him and jumped into the air, raising his sword up and slamming it straight down on his adversary. Unfortunately, the Knight vanished as the blade passed right through him, confusing Bronce for a moment until he reappeared behind him and punched his back, sending him down and crashing into the ground near Azul.

"Is this really the best you can do? This is pathetic. And here I thought the Grand Knights were suppose to be the strongest and most powerful defenders of Sanctuary..." The Knight said as he summoned his sword to his hand, "Ha! Now that I'm fighting seriously it's about time we end this charade and welcome the day of rebirth!"

"Never!" The trio of knights called in unison.

Verde, Bronce, and Azul got up and even though they were critically injured due to the damage they've taken that wasn't gonna stop them from ending this. If they don't do something to stop him they'll lose everything that matters. Their friends. Their families. And their home. That cannot happen. Gathering up as much strength as they could each Grand Knight gripped onto their swords and concentrated. Closing their eyes and focusing on the power they've earn from all the training they've accomplished over the centuries.

Auras of their respected colors emerged and they each rose toward the Knight of Shadows, standing near him in different directions.

"My will shall guide us to the future." Said Verde as he opened his eyes, pupils and irises glowing green.

"My courage shall carry us to victory." Said Bronce as his eyes opened, pupils and irises glowing orange.

"My heart will join with my friends and break away any evil that remains in this world." Said Azul as her eyes opened, pupils and irises glowing blue.

"Trinity Strike!" They each cried in unison, releasing strong beams of Soul Energy from their blades and pointing them at the Knight.

Each blast impacted him, sending screams of pain. The Knight of Shadows wasn't gonna let this end, so he gathered up all of the power within him and caused his dark aura to grow, increasing his power and pushing back the attacks. The Grand Knights noticed this and kept on pushing themselves, causing their beams to grow and push back the darkness. Back and forth each attack pushed each other without holding back.

"Give up and die! You all are no match for me!" The Knight proclaimed.

"You're wrong, Negro! We will defeat you! I'm sorry my friend, but this is where we all must part ways." Verde announced. "TOGETHER!"

Hearing his call, Bronce and Azul pushed on, screaming and giving it their all just as Verde was. The Knight was a bit taken back that Verde called him by his former name, and it was this act that allowed the Grand Knights to pull through, breaking through the darkness and engulfing him in light. All three attacks at their full potentials broke away all of his armor and completely disintegrated his entire body leaving no trace behind.

Not only has the great evil been defeated, but the mere burst of energy released from the Grand Knights broke the sky of darkness, clearing it almost instantly and reverted the land to what it use to be, full of grass and flowers that travel back to the kingdom. As for our three heroes, they fell back into the soft grass with armor bashed and helmets broken. They did it. They saved Sanctuary. And just as they were out of breath and proud for what they've done a bright light emerged from above and guided itself down toward the warriors. Within it, an angelic figure revealed herself, spreading her massive wings and smiling at those below her.

"Congratulations my fateful companions. By defeating the the Knight of Shadows, you've brought back peace and harmony to Sanctuary. Although Negro was a good friend and a brave man, his selfishness and corruption had to be erased. I am sorry for the actions you all had to make. As a reward for your efforts, I shall bring you back home. Thank you. Sanctuary is forever grateful to your actions." The Angel Goddess said with her soothing and nurturing voice as she lifted all three warriors and disappeared into the light.

The End

* * *

 **Kameron**

I... I didn't know what to say. No words could ever describe what just happened right in front of our eyes.

"We actually did it..." I said as I turned my head to my friends.

They looked back at me in silence with their eyes widened like mine and turned back to the screen. I followed as my lips began to stretch before I felt my body falling back into the beanbag I was sitting in. The whole room got quiet until the three of us instantly got up.

"WE WON!" We cheered in unison.

"That was by far the coolest game I've ever played. Dude, thanks for getting me into this." Lars said as we shared a fist bump.

"I told you Soul Kingdom was incredible."

"Incredible? It was like we were actually there! The story was amazing and the characters and everything else! Ahh!" Sadie clarified with overwhelming joy.

I could help but chuckle from her over excitement before I plopped back down in my seat while looking at the end credits on the screen. Just over a month ago I got the game and after playing it myself I got Lars into it with Sadie taking a interest too. At the beginning there was a long prologue, but it worth it to get an insight on what was going on and what all this craziness happened. It was too epic to put in simple words.

"So...Kameron. I was wondering if I could ask you something?" Lars said as he sat next to me.

"Sure. What's up, man?"

He looked the other way and scratched the back of his head before turning his attention back to me, "How close are you with Scarlett?"

My eyes widened a little from hearing that. "Uhh... Not much. I barely know her, she's Zac's ex-girlfriend, kinda forced to watch him from being a jackass no thanks to me, and in my own opinion, I would say we're just acquaintances. Why?"

"I was just wondering...if maybe...you could ask her about her friends to see if any are single?"

I immediately raised an eyebrow at that. "You really want to get a girlfriend don't you?"

"Well, yeah. It's on the top of my list on things I want to achieve before I graduate. It's basically the most important thing a guy could ask for."

"Guys? I'm still here, ya know." Sadie called out.

We both looked at her and her unamused expression before turning back to each other.

"Please do me this solid? Do you have any way of contacting her?"

"I have her phone number."

Lars instantly dropped his jaw from my response and grabbed both of shoulders, stunning me slightly. "You have the head cheerleader captain of the Beach City High Lion's phone number?"

I nodded.

"Have you called her yet?"

"No. I've uh... had things on my mind lately."

"Please call her tonight. Please?"

I wasn't really sure about this as I looked at Lars' pleading eyes. I turned my head to see Sadie on how she would be about all this. She only gave me a shrug as I turned back to Lars and released a sigh. "Alright. I'll see what I can do, but I can't make any promises."

He released my shoulders and pulled his hands down while giving off a smile, "Yes. Thanks, man."

"Sure." I then pulled out my phone and noticed that it was already six'o clock. "Listen, I've gotta go, it's getting kinda late." I added as I stood up from my seat and went to collect Soul Kingdom from Lars' XStation.

"See you at school tomorrow." Sadie said.

"You guys too. And are you all prepared for the finals coming up?"

"I am. Two hours of studying together really put my mind on a steady path."

"I'm not so sure for me." Lars said while rubbing his left arm.

"Lars. We've been over this. You're gonna do fine and thanks to my help I was able to help you boost up from F's and D's to C+'s and B-'s. You're really making progress and if you keep it up I'm sure you're gonna ace it."

"If you say so. It's still a pain in the ass to do all of this."

"Just try to bear it. Summer's around the corner and by then we'll be able to hang out as much as we want. Deal?"

He looked away for a moment before responding, "Yeah. Deal."

I nodded and made my way out of his room with my backpack on me and my eyes set on home.

* * *

 _My name is Kameron Evans. Just an average teenager living life the way he wants to, but...I've got a secret only a few people know about. I'm a Gem hybrid and a member of the Rainbow Gems. We help protect humanity from deadly creatures and strange Gem monsters that terrorize the planet. I don't know where they came from and for a while I've been trying to figure it out on my own, but so far any theories or assumptions I come up with don't really fit the bill. It shouldn't be something I should worry about so much, but something tells me there's more going on with them then meets the eye._

 _The Rainbow Gems are just defenders of planet earth, but they're also my brothers and sisters. Amber. Azurite. Pyrope. Citrine. Charoite. Lepidolite. Onyx. And my dad. They taught me everything I needed to know and helped me get stronger with my abilities. My mom does get worried about us, but we always manage to come back alive with only a few scrapes and bruises here and there, nothing a bit of healing can't patch up. Other then that, I've got a pretty big family. A crazy one, but one I couldn't live without._

* * *

After doing some jogging through the neighborhood as the street lights were coming on, I've returned to my house with the sun just at the tip of the horizon. I pulled out my keys and opened the door before stepping inside and closing it behind me.

"I'm home." I called out.

Just then in a split second, a powerful strike punched me straight in the face, sending my body down onto the carpet.

"Welcome home, Kameron."

I groaned and covered my face from where I was punched. Once I removed my hand I saw the culprit responsible and narrowed my eyes.

"What the hell was that for, Pyrope?!"

"Just a nice welcoming for my brother. Gotta problem with that?" He replied as he blew at his right fist.

I gritted my teeth and threw my left fist at him, knocking him down toward the carpet. "Yeah, I have a problem with it. I wasn't prepared and it pisses me off."

He rubbed his cheek from where I hit him and got back up. We then stared at each other, looking eyes to eye and glaring. "Wanna go a couple more rounds? A good ass kicking can get you into a good mood."

"Sure. Only it's gonna be your ass that's gonna get kicked."

He smirked at my comment and just before we were gonna throw down, a pair of hands touched our shoulders. The both of us turned our heads and right there came my sister, Azurite with a unamused expression.

"No roughhousing indoors. Remember?"

We sighed and nodded, avoiding another lecture on what we can and can't do inside the house. I was about to speak about it before something closed my vision, making everything go dark.

"Guess who?" A soft cooing voice whispered into my ear.

"Charoite?"

My vision came back and over my shoulder I saw her smiling, "Nice guess."

She then kissed my cheek. I light groaned from it and walked away while seeing Amber reading a magazine, Lepidolite playing with her stuffed animals, Citrine feeding Oliver, and Onyx reading a book.

"I'll be in my room."

"'Kay. Your mom and dad went out tonight. Me and the girls are making dinner." Charoite called out.

"Okay. I'll come down to help in a little bit."

As I got up the stairs and opened the door into my room I placed my backpack next to my closet near my sword and shield before taking out my phone. I went to my calling list and found Scarlett before pressing her name and putting the phone up to my ear. I ringed for a few seconds as I took a seat on my bed until I heard her voice on the line.

" _Hello?"_

 _"_ Hey, Scarlett." I answered.

" _Kameron! Hey, what's up?"_

"Nothing much. How about you?"

 _"Nothing new. I just got out of the shower though when you called."_

I felt my eyes widen from hearing that. My face started feeling a bit warmer then usual until I shook my head to pull myself together.

 _Stop it, man. Get your mind out of the gutter._

"Oh, uh... if this is a bad time I can just call back later?"

 _"No, no, it's not a back time. I was actually gonna call somebody to pass through my boredom and you picked up. So, is there something you wanna talk about?"_

 _"_ Yeah. Listen, um... I know we don't know each other that well, but I wanted to ask you something."

" _Okay. I'm listening."_

 _"_ I have a friend who is trying to find love, and he asked me if I could talk to you to see if you have any friends who are single. If that's okay for me to ask."

For a moment I waited for her to respond before she spoke up again.

 _"As a matter of fact, I do have a friend who is looking for a boyfriend. She is kinda the quiet type, but she's very adorable and I think your friend and her can click."_

 _"_ Thanks. His name is Lars Barriga."

 _"My friend's name is Haley Caves. I'll ask her about him tomorrow. Also, are you gonna be at the pep rally?"_

 _"_ Not really. Pep rallies aren't really my thing."

 _"Well that's not showing school spirit. You should come. It's gonna be a blast."_

 _"_ I don't know, Scarlett."

"*sigh* _Please? You don't have to, but I think you should give it a try. Just this once?"_

I started thinking about it. Pep rallies and I don't really fit in the same category. Not that I don't like them it's just that I don't really find them that enjoyable. Too many people. Volume getting as loud as a sonic boom, and just watching the band club, football players, cheerleaders, and a guy in a animal costume jumping around and showing the crowds how much 'spirit' they have for the school. But... I guess going to one wouldn't hurt so much. I didn't go to one during freshman year, so this'll be a step up to end my sophomore year.

"Okay, I'll give it a shot."

 _"Thanks. This means a lot to me."_ Then her voice started to soften, " _and... there's something else I want to talk to you about."_

"What's wrong?"

" _Not over the phone. I want to tell you tomorrow after the pep rally in person."_

"Okay...?"

" _It's nothing too serious, but it's something you need to hear."_

"Sure..."

 _"Thank you. I've gotta go. I'll see you tomorrow."_

"Later."

We both then hung up and I fell back on my bed as my vision directed to the ceiling.

 _I wonder what she wants to talk to me about?_

* * *

"Go Lions, go Lions, go! Go Lions, go Lions, go! Go Lions, go Lions, go!" Echoed through the stadium.

As expected, I was surrounded by booming music and roaring crowds screaming out into the air. One thing I had to admit was that is was pretty entertaining to see people putting so much effort into doing what they loved. That's one of the valuable lessons in life: Do what you love to do. Don't pay attention to what other people say about it. If it's your talent, enjoy it as much as you want.

Angela and Chelsea were sitting next to me as we watched while I noticed Scarlett front and center showing off her techniques and dances with passion and joy. I felt my lips stretching out a bit as I observed her, but made sure not to stare and place my attention on the mascot who was running around giving off high-fives to the front rows.

"Kameron!"

I turned my head to the right, "What's wrong, Angela?!"

"How are you liking the pep rally!?"

"It's loud! But it's okay!"

"That's good to hear!"

Before I could tell her something else I felt a nudge on my left shoulder, causing my to turn my head to see Chelsea.

"Hey! Are you staring at Scarlett?!"

"What?! No! I'm not staring at her!"

"You sure?! Could've sworn you were!"

"I'm just watching her and the team is all!"

"Alright! Just make sure you keep your eyes on her face!"

"Why did you have to bring that up?" I asked as my face felt warmer.

"Lookin' out for you, man. Don't get so serious!" She nudged at my shoulder again while chuckling a little from my expression.

I groaned mental as I placed my focus back on the event. Then shortly later on, the football players emerged on the seen, waving at the crowds who were cheering for them. Then my biggest issue took off his helmet as everyone went silent with the cheerleaders finishing up their routine and giving him space.

"Who are we!? He yelled.

"Beach City Lions!" The crowd answered loudly.

"Are we the kings of the jungle?!"

"YES!"

"Then roar! Show me what lion's are best at!"

The whole crowd except for me and the girls screamed as loud as they could while Zac and his did the same.

Man... any more of this and everyone is gonna need cough drops and hearing aids when they get home.

* * *

Thankfully it finally ended twenty minutes later... Pep rallies... still aren't my thing.

As me and the girls were exiting ours seats and heading down, Scarlett came up to us near the benches.

"Hey, Kameron."

"Hey. You were really good out there."

"Thanks," She replied with a bit of swift in her hair. "All the practice I do really pays off."

Before I could have a chance to speak again I felt a touch on my shoulder. I turned my head and speak of the devil...

"Hey, Foresthead. Who said you can talk to my girl." He asked firmly as his grip on me tightened a little.

Scarlett scoffed before she responded, "I'm not 'your girl' anymore Zac. And I can talk to whoever I want. So I suggest you leave him alone."

"C'mon, baby. I said I was sorry. There has to be something I can do to make it up to you?"

"No, there isn't. We're done." She replied as she walked to us and took my arm before walking somewhere else, leaving the girls and him behind.

We walked for a while until we exited the stadium before she released me from her grip and turned around to look at me. "Sorry about that. I just had to get away from him for a while, even though I'll eventually have to go back to babysitting."

I sighed a bit before replying while rubbing the back of my head, "I'm sorry for dragging you into this."

"Don't apologize. Zac just wants attention. But let's drop that subject and move on to the important one."

"Where we left off from last night?" I asked with a raised eyebrow and hands in my pockets.

She nodded with a small grin before it faded. She looked away for a moment while pushing her hair behind her right ear and placed her eyes back on me. Whatever she wanted to talk about her expression right now clearly showed that it was serious.

"You don't remember me, do you?"

I cocked an eyebrow,"Remember you? We've met before?"

Her eyes widened lightly as she placed a hand on her chest. "Wow... I'm hurt." She said softly.

"Uh... sorry?" I replied, getting a bit confused.

She closed her eyes and sighed. She then placed a hand into her shirt and pulled something out. I looked at it closely and it appeared to be a green crystal orb attached to a light silver chain.

"You may have forgotten me, but I didn't forget about you. You made this for me."

"I did?"

She nodded, "Yes. You told me you made it using your powers."

As soon as she said that it felt like time froze around me.

 _How did she know? Did I slip up? No, no, no, I'm always careful when I'm using them in public. *gulp* Just keep calm and see where this goes without making a scene._

 _"_ Umm... Are you sure you're not mistaking me for someone else?"

She shook her head, "After I first saw you I just thought you were just some guy getting wrapped up in something he shouldn't be, but after you bumped into me the other day and gave me your name, I did some thinking and I remembered something nine years ago. A boy I considered a friend gave this to me as a gift, he ran away after getting bullied. Do you remember that?"

When she was finished speaking I took a good look at her necklace and at her face. Right then and there I felt a click in my head. My eyes widened and my mouth slowly gaped. Is...is it really her?

"Wait a minute... are you-"

"Bingo!" She interrupted wink and small grin.

I lightly gasped. It was her? All those years ago? Before I could even speak another word she walked up to me and wrapped her arms around my back, pushing her body against mine. I felt frozen and couldn't open my mouth to say anything from this sudden embrace. It felt...nice. But it gave me so many questions to ask her, however right now it was better to let her have this moment and not spoil it. I then slowly raised my arms and wrapped them around her as she tightened her grip.

We stayed like this for a while before we eventually released each other.

"I think it might me best if we reintroduce ourselves." She asked.

I nodded and finally opened my mouth, "my name is Kameron. Kameron Evans."

"I'm Scarlett. Scarlett Jane. And we probably should've done this from the very beginning, huh?"

"Better late then never, and we were just kids back then, only thinking about playing and having fun without really thinking things through."

She giggled from my response, "Yeah, that is true. Still, it's so good to see you again after all this time."

"You too. How have you been?"

"I've been okay. I moved here not too long ago and I've been busy keeping up my routines since I was ten. But... after you left me like that...I felt dumped."

I soon felt a twitch in my stomach. That wasn't the best thing for me to do back then. I never went back outside for a while after what happened and never really gave any thought about how she felt from me leaving her. Some friend I was...

"Yeah... I'm not proud of that. And I'll accept you being mad at me for it." I said as I lost my smile.

"I'm not mad," She replied before crossing her arms, "I had a feeling you were very sensitive about it from how you reacted. I forgive you, but just don't dump me like that again, okay?"

I gave her a nod before she grew a small smile, "And if it's alright with you, can we make up for lost time? You kinda owe me for bailing and for that 'freebie' you got the other day."

"It was an accident. I didn't know my hand was gonna be there." I groaned as my face was burning.

"Are you really sure about that?" She asked as she tilted her head to the right.

I sighed before responding, "Yes. I'm not that kind of guy. And I'll pay back the debt I owe you."

She smiled,"Is it alright if you tutor me? I'm kinda falling behind in Mathematics and History. Plus since finals are coming up I wanna make sure I'm getting everything prepared."

"No problem. You can join my study group with me and Lars."

"Thanks. Can I meet up at your house? That way I can give your friend some insight on mine."

I wasn't sure if that was a good idea. Sure she is the very first person I told my secret to, but meeting my family and learning more about what I am could turn everything around. I felt myself stiffen up a little about my answer, however...she was glad to see me again and didn't freak out from what I showed her back then. I can't be scared like this again. I closed my eyes and took in a breath before slowly exhaling and giving her my answer, "Okay. I'll text you my address after sixth period."

Her smile stretched out a bit more and she gave me a nod while uncrossing her arms and placing them behind her back. "I'll see you then. And your secret's safe with me. I won't tell a soul."

I gave her another smile before she told me she had to get back to change and get ready for class. We then parted ways as I made my way toward the main building while holding my backpack straps with both hands.

* * *

The final bell. The end of a unexpected day.

"So, Lars, wanna come over to study at my place?" I asked as I was packing up.

"Sure, man. To be honest, I've never really been to your place before or even met your family. Except for your giant brother." He replied as he placed his backpack on.

"Yeah, he had a major growths spurt. Plus I talked to Scarlett after the pep rally and she'll be there too so she could talk to you about her friend."

Lars widened his eyes to the max with his jaw completely dropped. I could only snicker a little from his reaction.

"Now I totally have to be there. Can you give me you're address?" He quickly asked.

I chuckled and nodded, bring out my phone and giving him what he wanted. He then pulled out his phone to look at what I sent him before he gasped.

"This is where you live? This isn't too far from my house."

"You know where it is?"

"Yeah, I've passed it a few times during my drive-bys with the Cool Kids. I'll be there around five-thirty if that's alright."

"It's fine. Now I'm gonna text Scarlett and hopefully you won't pass out after talking with her."

He scoffed,"I'm not gonna pass out. Even though she is head captain of the cheerleaders, she is pretty hot, and your the luckiest guy who has ever lived to be able to talk to her."

"She's also my childhood friend before I met you and Sadie." I mentioned, getting to see him drop his jaw again. "See you later, Lars."

I then began to exit the classroom and head straight to my locker. As I was walking the Parks sisters joined up with me and I noticed Chelsea looking a little annoyed.

"Is something wrong?" I asked her.

"Nothing. Except for the part where you ditched us." She replied firmly.

"Sorry. I didn't know Scarlett was gonna take me somewhere else."

"Where did you two go?" Angela asked as we approached my locker.

"Near the gym. And I found out she's actually my childhood friend from nine years ago." I asked as I was putting away my books.

"WHAT!?" Chelsea and Angela said loudly, kinda startling me at the same time.

I then turned around after closing my locker and picking up my bookbag. "Yeah. And we're catching up afterschool to study at my house."

"Mind if we tag along? My sister's kinda flunking in her subjects." Angela asked.

"No I'm not." Chelsea dejected with crossed arms while looking away in annoyance.

"You got a D in math, a D in Social Studies, and a F in Science." Angela said in deadpan tone.

Chelsea looked back at her sister and narrowed her eye before turning to me, "I'm not joining up with that redhead."

I raised an eyebrow and replied, "What do have against Scarlett?"

Chelsea was about to say something, however she then stopped herself and looked away for a moment before turning back to speak, "Nothing really. She just kinda rubs me the wrong way."

"Have you two ever talked?"

"No."

"Then here's your chance."

"You really want a goth to be friends with a Cheerleader?"

"You don't have to be friends with her, but it doesn't hurt to try and get along with each other. I'm sure there's something else you girls can have in common besides being Zac's ex-girlfriends."

Chelsea narrowed her eye at me and walked up to me so we could be face to face. The only other times she'd ever done this was when she told me her new name and before she kicked me in the groin in Kyoto. I had to sit on a ice bag for at least an hour. She has a pretty strong kick. To be fair, Iolite did trap her and her sister in a crystal dome, so that gives her an excuse to get mad at me after I defused with my sister, but why did it have to me that spot? WHY?!

Anyway, we were looking at each others souls and I waited to see what her response was going to be, plus getting prepared if she ever decides to hit me again.

"*sigh* Fine. I'll give it a shot as long as you help me too."

"Thanks, Chel."

"Don't get it twisted. I'm only going to study and talk to her if I feel like. deal?"

"Deal. And you can back away now. You're kinda in my personal space." I replied as I felt her nose touching mine.

She smirked, "Why? Want me to kiss you?"

My eyes immediately widened after she just said that with my face burning red. She then back away and started laughing while Angela chuckled a little with her hand over her mouth.

"Dude, your reactions are so predictable."

I groaned and turned around to walk away.

"Hey, come back red tomato."

As they followed me I went ahead and pulled out my phone to tell my family that I was having friends coming over to study.

 _Let's see where this goes..._

* * *

At home I witnessed the others cleaning up a bit. Amber was vacuuming, Azurite was doing the dishes, Lepidolite and Citrine were dusting, and Pyrope, Charoite, and Onyx were straightening up. Mom was still at work and wouldn't come home for another hour, and I guess my dad was in the basement due to him not being present in the living room.

I went over to the dining room table and placed my bookbag in a seat before going into the kitchen to get a snack.

"Hello, Kameron. How was school today?" Azurite asked as she was putting away the last of the dishes.

"It went okay. Kinda nervous about the finals though." I replied as I took an apple from the fruit basket and a water bottle from the fridge.

"I'm sure you and you're friends are going to do fine. Remember to focus and I'm positive you'll be great."

"Thanks sis." I replied as I exited the kitchen.

"So how many friends ya got comin' over?" Amber asked as she turned off the vacuum.

I looked at her before speaking, "About four. They'll be here around five, and I found out that one of them was someone I knew when I was a kid."

"Who?" Lepidolite asked as she and the others turned their attention to me.

"Scarlett."

As soon as I said that name, Lepidolite scream with glee while running up to me and wrapping her arms around my waist. She continued screaming into the side of my stomach before eventually letting me go while I went to put my snacks on the table.

"Really?! That's so amazing. I can't wait to see her again."

"Who's Scarlett?" Charoite asked.

"She's a friend at Kameron's school. And she's really pretty too." Lepidolite explained.

"Ohh..." As I was eating my apple I felt a touch on my shoulder. I turned my head to see Charoite looking at me with a raised eyebrow, "Is she prettier than me?" She asked.

I narrowed my eyes and swallowed my fruit to respond, "Does it really matter?"

"No. But I just wanna know before she gets here is all."

"You'll meet her when she gets here."

She puffed her cheeks a bit before stepping back and letting go of my shoulder. "Fine."

"Thanks," I replied and turned my attention to Pyrope, "And Pyrope. Can you put a shirt on?"

"I don't do shirts." He replied as he placed his hands in his pockets.

"Pyrope. We're having guests coming over and they're his friends. Being a little decent doesn't hurt once in a while." Azurite pointed out as she exited the kitchen.

He scoffed, "Can I put on a tank top at the least? Will that be decent enough?"

"Good enough." I replied.

He then walked out of the room as I took another bite out of my apple before getting out my homework and my test folders. I then pulled out my earbuds and plugged them into my phone to to look up my tracks before I got start 'cause even though homework is mandatory it doesn't mean I can't rock to something as I do it.

* * *

As I bobbed my head to my music while solving the last equation to my math a sudden sound caused me to flinch before I pulled out earbuds. It must be them.

I got up and noticed my dad sitting in his favorite chair reading a book.

"Hey dad."

"Hello my son. Are those you're friends?" He replied as he removed the book from his face.

"I believe so."

I went up to the door and unlocked it before opening it. On the other side I saw the Parks sisters, Scarlett, and Lars who looked a little nervous. I could think of a few reasons as to why.

I looked at Angela to see her in a different outfit outside of her uniform. She wore a long white shirt with dark jeans, standard black and white sneakers, and a bracelet on the left side of her wrist. She looked pretty good.

Chelsea looked the same, but Scarlett also wore different attire. She wore a orange shirt with a black jacket, light blue jeans with a few tears in them, orange sneakers, and the necklace I made for her was now visible to see.

"Hey guys. Come on in." I said as I moved aside.

They all came in one at a time and started looking around.

"Dude, your house is huge." Lars pointed out.

"Yeah. it's pretty big." I replied while rubbing the back of my head. "Lars. Scarlett. I'd like to introduce you to my brothers and sisters." I added.

I looked at Lars to see him widen his eyes as he stared at my sisters before I gave him a nudge to snap him out of it. As for Scarlett, she simply waved at them just before Lepidolite jumped up to us.

"Hi Scarlett. It's good to see you again." She said.

"Same to you." Scarlett replied before lightly rubbing my little sister's head, making her smile.

"So... you're Scarlett?" Charoite asked as she approached her just as she stopped petting Lepidolite.

"That's my name."

My sister then placed a finger underneath her chin and looked at her while humming. She then walked around her in a circle while looking up and down until she finally stopped in front of her. I couldn't tell what she was doing, but I just had to cross my fingers to hope that this doesn't make this go down in a different direction.

"I'm satisfied." She said to her.

"Excuse me?" Scarlett asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"It's nice to meet you is all, and I was told you're my brother's childhood friend."

"Uh...yeah. I thought it'd be nice for the both of us to reconnect."

"That's wonderful." Azurite said to her before turning to Lars, "And you must me Lars if I'm not mistaken?"

"Uh... y-yeah. Nice to meet you...uh..." He replied before trailing off.

My sister snickered a little before she walked up to him and offered her hand, "You can call me Azurite."

He slowly raised his hand and placed it in her's. They shook for a while until they released and Lars turned his attention to someone else.

"Hey. Aren't you that guy who knocked out Zac the other day?" He asked my brother Pyrope.

"Damn straight. He looked like a punk the moment I saw him and I knocked him out because my brother was gonna go out of control." Pyrope replied with crossed arms.

Lars looked at me as I averted my eyes. As much as I wanted to give Zac what he deserved, I could've gone berserk due to what he did to Ronaldo and make the situation worse than it already was.

"You almost went out of control?" Angela asked me.

"Yeah. He was being a jerk as always and he got under my skin."

"I'd pay to see that." Chelsea said.

"It still wouldn't be right."

"Well, how about we change the subject and get to studying shall we?" Angela suggested.

I couldn't agree more.

 **End of Chapter 10.**

 **Hope you all enjoyed it and here are the voice actors I've chosen for each character. One last time.**

 **Cast:**

 **Kameron Evans: Johnny Yong Bosch**

 **Angela Parks: Mae Whitman**

 **Chelsea Parks: Ashly Burch**

 **Scarlett Jane: Vanessa Marshall**

 **Zac Armstrong: Joshua Lebar**

 **Amber: Meghan Carey Black**

 **Azurite: Kari Wahlgren**

 **Pyrope: Greg Abbey**

 **Citrine: Patrick Seitz**

 **Charoite: Karen Strassman**

 **Lepidolite: Tara Strong**

 **Onyx: Tony Oliver**

 **Green: John Swasey**

 **Christie Evans: Nicole Oliver**

 **Now, I'm going to take a break for a while. Don't worry, I won't be gone for too long and when I come back things are to get a little more interesting.**

 **See you all soon.**


	11. Birthday Animals

**Hi everyone. Hope you all are doing well.**

 **I apologize for being gone this long. Had other projects to do, using some foresight, and taking a break here and there.**

 **Let's call this something to make it up to all of you who've been waiting patiently.**

 **Enjoy. Long Chapter, but worth it due to a risky idea I came up with.**

Chapter 11: Birthday Animals

The radio kept playing one of his iconic songs as I continued cleaning the windows. Gotta say, he really found a keeper. They don't make beauties like these anymore. To some it may be old and definitely outdated, but to me, she's a relic that'll never let you down.

As I finished up wiping down the left window I walked over to a nearby chair and placed the glass cleaner and small towel in the seat. I then walked around the vehicle while humming a bit. Windows were cleaned, the sides and the hubcaps have been washed, the insides were vacuumed, and all of his belongs have been organized after I took them out and placed them back. I guess I'm done.

I then went over to the radio that was near the chair and turned it off before moving the cleaner and taking a seat. I wiped my forehead and let out a sigh. Not a depressed one, but one when you've just finished a job outside in the sun.

"Wow. It almost looks brand new."

I raised my head and saw who said that while growing a smile. He's still looking good with the mullet and beard.

"Just finished up. the windows. Anything else I can do?" I replied.

"Nah. Thanks again, Kameron. I know it kinda sucks to do this on your birthday, so...as your favorite uncle, I've got a little something for you. A reward for your hard work."

He took his hand from behind his back and presented me with his gift. I looked at it and took it out of his hand before taking off the wrapper and raising it to my mouth. I gave it a small chomp and moaned a little from the taste. Crunchy Vanilla. One of, if not, the best ice cream brand ever born.

"Thanks, uncle Greg."

"You're welcome, birthday boy. Can I get a famous bear hug?"

I walked up to him and wrapped both arms around him while holding my ice cream. He responded by doing the same but tightening it a little. Even though he isn't really my biological uncle I see him as one, ever since I was little. He's pretty cool and I like enjoying my time with him whenever I get the chance, plus during the summer I can extend it now that I'd be out of school for two months.

We then separated and I continued eating my treat before it could melt, but not too fast to avoid the infamous brain freeze. I remember the last time I got one. Drinking a dozen smoothies under two minutes was the worst idea we've ever came up with, but nonetheless it was still fun.

"So...how's the family doing?" He asked as he pulled up a chair next to me.

"We're doing okay. My Finals are coming in when I get back to school and I've just been busy studying and helping out as much as possible."

"Sounds rough."

"You don't know the half of it." I replied before taking another bite, "Besides me, how you, Steven, and the Crystals doing?"

"We're doing okay. Steven is still doing his thing, helping out the others, and protecting humanity."

As I took in another bite a thought crept into my mind as I soon felt my smile vanishing. I've always wondered about it and I can't understand it, but now might be a good time to ask him about it.

"Uncle Greg. Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"It's none of my business, but...how come you don't live with Steven and the others?"

As soon as I asked that his smile faded as he then turned his attention to the ground. He then turned his head back to me, "It's...complicated."

"Complicated? I don't care about you living in your van, but why not also live with your son too?"

"Your mother and father asked me that a lot. The thing is...I chose to live in my van and for a while Steven did too, but the Crystals wanted to take care of him, so...we made a agreement where I don't get involved and stay away from magic stuff while Steven visits me anytime he wants. Plus now that I own a car wash somebody's gotta watch over it."

"Still... I don't think it's fair for them to keep you away from your own child."

"I know how you feel buddy, but you and Steven were born differently. The Crystals and I still have a few issues we're still working out."

"It's still about 'her' isn't it?""

He nodded. I figured as much. I've never met her and my family has told me about her when I was thirteen. She had a lot of heart. A lot of hope. And made a difference just as they did, but the main thing they told me about her was that she was a liar. She lied to them and to the ones she called her friends. I believed them, even if I didn't know all the facts and details, but I couldn't ask the Crystals themselves. Whenever her name is brought up they always get sensitive and emotional.

I then finished up my ice cream and placed the stick back in the wrapping paper before tossing it in a trash can next to me.

"Hey. Is it alright if I visit Steven?" I asked.

"Sure. I can already tell how he's gonna react when he sees you. But when you see the Crystals please don't mention what we talked about, okay?"

I nodded. We then shared one last hug before I walked over to my bike and picked it up while putting on my helmet and getting on. I looked back at my uncle and gave him a small smile while leaving It's a Wash.

* * *

I kept on peddling through the streets and passed the Big Doughnut before making my way toward the edge of the road. Here, all that was shown was a large cliff where the lighthouse was built, a few large rocks, and nothing but sand. Surprisingly, not many people come here that often. I guess it's due to how nothing much happens around this area of the beach. But believe me, I don't even need to make any guesses or assumptions to what kind of supernatural activities have happened here.

I got off my bike and took it with me as I walked toward the sand. I then turned a corner and just up ahead was a small beach house built around a massive temple. I then parked my bike near the steps and took off my helmet, placing it on the right handlebar. Traveling up the steps I made my way to the screen door and gave it a few knocks. I waited while putting my hands in my pockets until the door opened and from behind came a little boy I knew all too well.

"*gasp* Kameron!" He cheered before he lunged toward me, wrapping his arms around my waist and placing his head against my stomach.

"Hey, Steven. Good to see you too."

I rubbed his head a bit before he released me. I then walked inside and closed the door behind me. Then I turned my attention to four girls sitting on the couch. Three I recognized, but the fourth was someone I haven't met yet.

"Hey Crystals."

"Yo, Kameron. What's up?" Amethyst said as she walked up to me and we shared a fist bump.

"Kameron. It's nice to see you again." Pearl said with a small smile. Her outfit looked slightly different than before. Must've been through an accident.

"You both too." I replied and turned my head to the third, "hey, Garnet."

She was silent for a moment and then spoke, "Hello."

"Oh. Kameron. There's somebody I want you to meet." Steven said as he then took my hand and guided me toward the other girl. She was human, wore glasses, and had on a turquoise shirt with blue shorts, white high knee socks, and orange shoes.

"Connie. This is Kameron."

"Nice to meet you." She said as she raised her hand to me.

I raised my right hand out and took it in her before we shook a few times and released them from each other.

"Nice to meet you too, Connie." I replied with a grin.

"Kameron is also just like me." Steven announced.

"What do you mean?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Kameron. Can you show her your Gem?"

My eyes lightly widened from his request as I hid my right hand behind my back.

Steven noticed my expression and responded, "It's okay. I already told her about it."

I looked at him as he smile and turned to Connie who gave me a curious expression. I already have three people who know about my secret and four would over exceed things. As much as I wanted to simply say 'no', Steven would just keep bugging me about it to know end, so might as well. I took out my right hand from my back and removed the bandages from it, allowing my Gem to be shown.

"Wow... How come you're wearing bandages if your hand looks normal?" Connie asked.

"These bandages repress my powers. Let's just say I don't like showing off and telling everyone about what I can do."

"Why not?"

I looked down at my Gem as my reflection was shown to me before I turned my attention back to Connie. "A few unhappy experiences will make you see that."

I then switched my attention to Steven, "So Steven. Anything new going on?"

"Yeah. I learned a new power. I have healing spit. And some of it was used to heal Connie's eyesight."

I raised an eyebrow at that and turned to her.

"We were having a picnic at the cliff and I asked him about the new fence there. He told me about it and I asked for his juice, but when I gave it back my head started aching and when I took off my glasses my vision started becoming clear. Now I just wear them without lenses until I can find a time to tell my parents about it." She explained.

Ohh... Well...I can't really predict how Steven's abilities would manifest, but at least her explination was better than what I assumed. But on the other side of Healing Spit, gross, but effective...I guess.

"Uhh... nice?" I managed to asked while giving a thumbs up.

Just before anyone else could say a word I felt a buzz from my right pocket and took out my phone.

 _Kameron. Please come home. We've got a 'special surprise' for you- Charoite._

I then placed my phone in my pocket and spoke, "Hey, sorry for cutting time, but I've gotta get going."

"Aww... Why?" Steven whined.

"It's my birthday and my family has something waiting for me at home."

Immediately after I said that Steven gasped and ran up to me, wrapping his arms around me and squeezing his head against my chest. I was a little taken back from this, but I accepted it until he released me.

"Happy birthday Kameron. How old are you now?"

"Sixteen."

"That's a big number. Ohh...I wish I would've gotta you something."

I smiled before I kneeled down and rubbed his hair, causing him to look up at me. "Seeing you is enough Steven."

He smiled before I stopped and walked back toward the door. "See you guys later."

"Bye, dude." Amethyst said.

"Have a good day, Kameron, and happy birthday." Pearl said.

Garnet just gave me a thumbs up.

* * *

As I made my way back home I couldn't help but grin from seeing Steven again. Like Greg I've only been able to see him when I had the time. Though my visit was short, it was good seeing the Crystals again too. And that girl, Connie. Nice to see that Steven's found somebody to share his Gem side with. Knowing him, it was probably during a series of unexpected events. Whatever the case, she seems okay.

I kept peddling until I've made it toward my neighborhood and arrived back at my house. Now the biggest question left to wonder is what'll happen as soon as I get inside. The garage door opened up and as soon as I was able to go in a large black portal appeared right in front of me when I entered. I placed my bike away and took off my helmet before walking toward it. Part of me just wanted to go in while the part questioned what would be on the other side. Might as well take the risk.

I took a step forward and went inside the portal. On the other side everything was dark and I heard the portal close behind me.

 _Okay... It's not like I've never been inside total darkness before._

Just as I was to take a step forward a flash of lights from above came on, causing me to instantly close my eyes and cover them with my right arm. I groan a little from the sudden flash and took a step back before feeling something against my leg. I turned around and opened my eyes as my vision came back to notice a single steel chair.

"Take a seat, Kameron."

I lightly gasped from hearing that voice. I knew who it belonged to, but I did what she told me and lowered myself into the chair to sit in it. I then turned my head from left to right and wondered where she was before another pair of lights illuminated a different section of what I assumed was a room. Right in front of me was a sight I did not see coming at the slightest since I woke up this morning. Small cat ears were placed on her head, but that was only a looker as I then descended my vision toward her outfit. She wore an orange and black striped shirt exposing her navel along with cat paws on her hands and feet as well as a orange and black striped skirt with a tail wagging back and forth.

"Meow... What do you think?" She asked me with soft eyes and voice.

"W-w-why are you w-w-wearing that?" I could barely talk.

"Just a little something for the birthday boy. And...you didn't answer my question."

I couldn't speak. I felt my face starting to burn up while my mouth and voice started studdering. She gave me a sly grin before she fell onto her knees and placed her hands or paws on the floor. She slowly started crawling to me as her tail swayed while my heart began beating pretty fast. She giggled as she got near me and placed her paws on my knees before lifting herself up and moving her paws to my shoulders as she then sat on my lap.

She slowly lowered her head to me and I really couldn't make out exactly what she was gonna do, including the fact that my heart was now beating even faster and my body heat has gotten hotter. She placed her right cheek against mine and moved it up and down in the slowest way possible while humming. As she did this I felt myself closing my eyes while my lips began shaking on their own.

"You probably have a lot of questions to ask me, don'tcha?"

I wasn't able to response as her nuzzling then stopped.

"Kameron. Open your eyes. It's okay." She said in the sweetest and softest tone I've ever heard.

As I managed to calm my whimpering I slowly opened my eyes and placed them at her face. She smiled at me and I felt her remove one of her hands from my shoulders descending toward the center of my chest. She blushed while keeping her smile.

"You're really excited to see me like this, huh?"

"I...I don't know."

She giggled again, "I'm going to do something to help you calm down. Is that okay?"

I lightly nodded as she placed both of her hands to the sides of my head and pulled it toward her chest.

"This is my first time doing something like this too. Happy birthday. Think of this as a token for being my friend and to help you relax."

I couldn't think from what she was doing, but at the same time I started to close my eyes and felt comfortable, even though this felt like a strange thing for friends to do, but I guess it's a way for them to show you how much they care and they mean it.

I felt her rub my hair a bit until she eventually took my head off and got off when a sudden bell started ringing.

"Sorry. My time's up. Hope you enjoyed our little...moment, tiger."

I nodded and grew a small smile before two black portals appeared in front of us.

"Go straight ahead and your next surprise awaits."

I got up from the chair and walked toward the portal. However, just as I was about to enter I looked back at her and my instincts kicked in.

"Before I go, can I give you a hug?"

She nodded as I walked to her and wrapped my arms around her waist.

"Thanks. Be careful on the other side of yours."

"Promise."

I then released her as she turned around to walk toward her portal, but not before she stopped and turned her head, "Try not to miss me too much."

I found my cheeks burning again after she said that and went into the portal. I then shook my head a few times and turned toward mine. Whatever's next, just don't be something as extreme as what I just experienced.

* * *

On the other side I've entered into a strange place. The whole room was white with a large white table set longways in front of me with two chairs. One in front of me and one to the right. I walked toward it and found something standing near the front chair with a spoon on the right side. I was about to open my mouth to say what it was before a sudden sound caused me to flinch.

Immediately turning around, I saw a white door and heard five knocks emitting from it.

"Kameron? Are you there?"

I raised an eyebrow from the familiar voice and walked toward the door. "Uh...yeah, I'm here."

"May I come in?"

"Sure."

I raised out my left hand and grabbed the knob before twisting it and opening it. On the other side I got another surprise, and when I looked at her her face was blushing and she averted her eyes from me. That however was only a small amount of what I noticed. Like what I just saw from my first act, she was wearing a animal outfit, a french poodle. But luckily it wasn't over the top, instead it looked a pair of pajamas. I've seen a lot of kids and pre-teens wear them from different parts of the world, hell even I wore one when I was seven.

"Umm... W-What do think?" She asked nervously.

I grew a small smile and spoke, "You look really nice. Adorable even."

She lightly gasped and pointed her sight away from me again. That didn't last very long as she soon looked at me again and stepped inside.

"Mind if we sit at the table?"

I nodded.

She then walked passed me as I then turned around and saw her take a seat at the chair on the right side. I followed and took my seat. To be honest, I felt a bit more comfortable around her, including the outfit she was wear.

"So... What's this in front of us?"

"You've never heard of a parfait?"

"Parfait?"

"It's a famous desert in France. It's a blend of ice cream or yogurt mixed with fruit and granola. The one you're looking at right now is handmade."

"Who made it?"

She raised a hand and pointed at herself.

"You made this?"

"Uh-huh. I've picked out a few fruits mixed with the vanilla ice cream I added first. Pineapple, tangerines, green grapes, and red apples with some granola at the very end."

"Those are my favorite fruits..."

She nodded before taking her hand and picking up the spoon. She dipped it into the parfait and picked up a small amount before taking her other hand and placing it under the other while passing it to me.

"Say...ah, please?" She asked rather timidly.

I looked down at the spoonful desert and to her face as a slight blush erupted from her cheeks. Even though I wanted to ask her why she took this action, I think it'll be better to just play along.

I slowly opened my mouth just as she placed the spoonful desert into it. She then removed it and I started to chew with a slight moan coming out until I was able to swallow.

"Wow. You make a really good parfait."

"It's nothing too special. Just a recipe I got from my mom."

She placed the spoon back into the desert and managed to get out a slightly big piece, but I didn't care due to how good it tasted.

She repeated her actions again as I opened my mouth for another spoonful. Once she retracted it and I replayed what I did earlier, her eyes widened a little.

"Uhh... You've got a little something on your cheek."

I raised an eyebrow and raised a hand to feel my face until she used her left hand to stop it.

"Don't. I...uh... Let me clean it up, but...could you please close your eyes?"

I closed them and waited for whatever was gonna happen. In a flash I felt something wet pick up the remnants of the parfait and I opened up my eyes to see her face close to mine.

"Uh...W-W-Woof?"

Her face was now completely red as I felt my cheeks burning at the same time until she retracted to her seat.

"S-S-Sorry. I...um...was acting the part and uh..." She tried to explain.

"Uh...it's okay. That was just...unexpected."

She smiled lightly while blushing. Just as I was about to say something a bell started ringing, causing her to erupted from her seat.

"Oh, my time is up."

"Guess you'll be going now?"

She nodded and pulled me up from the chair by my arms. "Before I go, the birthday boy deserves a hug." She added as she wrapped her arms around my waist.

I closed my eyes and allowed her actions until she released me and a black portal appeared behind her.

"You've got one more animal to see. I'll see you at the very end. I...hope you enjoyed this."

She then made her out of room through the white door while I went through another portal. So far I've met a tiger and a poodle. There's only one animal that can match up with them and... oh, boy. it's gonna be her.

* * *

On the other side of the portal I stepped into I was witnessed toward another dark room. Just as I was about to take a step and find out where I was now a sudden flash of light erupted in front of me. Not only that, a massive stage had appeared just as more light began to appear from up above.

I rubbed my eyes as my vision adjusted back to normal. Then on stage came three people wielding instruments. The girl with a half shaved head on the left had a guitar. The girl with a choker in the back had drums. And the girl I knew very well in the center also had a guitar, but wasn't the only thing I saw other then them being goth. She wore a dark blue bird cap, a sleeveless shirt with dark blue wings added on, a bit of indigo marks on her cheeks, a feather top exposing her navel, black jeans, and black boots.

The center girl walked toward the mic placed in front of her and placed her lips next to it. "Hey there, B-day boy! How's it hangin'!?"

I flinched a bit from how loud she spoke and gave her a thumbs up as I cocked an eyebrow.

"You've already had fun with redhead and my sister, but now it's time we really get this party started. And just before you start drooling over how hot I look, allow us girls to play you a little tune. Enjoy.

I kept myself quiet as they soon started playing.

 **Chelsea:** _Earth, wind, fire and air._

 **All:** _We may look bad, but we don't care._

 **Chelsea:** _We ride the wind. We feel the fire. To love the Earth is our one desire._

 **All:** _To love the earth is our one desire._

 **Chelsea:** _Love the Earth. It's only fair. It's one big Earth that we must share. We love the Earth with all our fire. It's our souls. Our one desire._

 **Chelsea:** _Earth, wind, fire, and air._

 **All:** _We may look bad, but we don't care._

 **Chelsea:** _We ride the wind. We feel the fire. To love the Earth is our one desire._

 **All:** _To love the Earth is our one desire._

 **Chelsea:** _Nature is a precious gift. It will make your spirits lift._

 **All:** _Love the Earth with all your fire. It's in your soul, your one desire._

 **All:** _Earth, wind, fire, and air. We may look bad, but we don't care. We ride the wind. We feel the fire. To love the Earth is our one desire. To love the Eaaaarth is our one desire._

 _(Song end)_

My eyes widened and my mouth dropped as their song was finishing up. Wow. These girls were good. Scratch that, they weren't good, they were starstruck amazing. Chelsea has mentioned to me she was in a band, but never told me she was this good. Her voice was unlike anything I've ever heard before. The vocals sounded passionate and genuine despite how she acts, but to be honest with myself, sounded like a rock goddess.

"So B-day boy, like the performance?"

I placed my hands to the sides of my mouth before responding, "Yeah! You girls were incredible!"

She smiled and placed her guitar down before moving toward the edge of the stage. I raised an eyebrow as she then leaped straight toward me while raising out her arms. A gasped exited from me as I dashed forward and caught her in my arms, but then my balance started to falter slightly due to the amount of force her body placed against mine and we soon crashed backwards toward the floor.

"Are you crazy?" I asked.

"I knew you'd catch me. Plus I wanted to fly." She replied as she raised her face to mine.

"Is that just an excuse or you being you?"

She grew a grin and pressed her lips against my right cheek. I froze in response before she retracted and grew a sly grin at me while my face felt warmer again. This was the third this has happened today.

"W-What was that for?"

"For being my friend. Plus I love it whenever you get flustered like that. In two years I can totally up my game."

My face went red as soon as she said that. It doesn't take a genius to figure that sentence out.

She soon then laughed and got off of me. Raising a hand I grabbed it and got up as she tried to calm herself down. I looked at her band mates and noticed them snickering. I just sighed and let them have their moment, no matter how embarrassing it gets.

A bell then ruptured through the air.

"Aww... Guess my times up. I'll see you on the other side."

Just after she said that was when a black portal appeared.

"Uhh... Is that special effects?" The drummer asked.

"Actually girls... " She replied as she got back on stage. "It's a gateway to the darkest part of the world. It's even worse than hell."

The drummer and the other guitarist looked at each from that response just as I walked into portal.

* * *

This time on the other side I was in a place I recognized. Meadow Valley.

The skies were clear as day while I looked around to see miles and miles of grass and a variety of flowers. I've only been here a few times in the past and no matter how much I look at it this place will never change. It's really something like this that really makes you be thankful for being alive. Mother Nature is showing me her gift. I didn't say a word. I didn't have to, mostly because I was speechless with a soft breeze flowing through my face. This right here is one of the many treats for being a resident on earth. Just taking a moment to see something beautiful and gaining a dream.

I silently began walking through the grass and placed my hands in my pocket, not even caring where I was going. So far I've seen a tiger, a poodle, and a raven. My all-time favorite animals. A grin formed through my lips as I continued walking until I stopped dead in my tracks when a voice echoed in the wind.

"Kameron!"

I turned around and coming up from the horizon was Lepidolite with a big smile on her face. She kept yelling my name as I took a step forward when she approached me and instantly wrapped her arms around my waist while placing her head onto my chest. I stood completely still from the sudden embrace before I placed my hands on her shoulders.

"Happy birthday little brother." She said after separating from me.

"Thanks, sis."

"Can I give you your birthday kiss?"

I shrugged and got onto one knee as she took a step forward and planted her lips on my cheek. She then released herself and came back one more time before I stood back up.

"Don't forget about me, birthday boy." A seductive voice said.

I recognized that tone from anywhere. I looked to my left and to my right, even turning around but I couldn't see her. Sometimes I really wish she didn't do this trick. I then felt something on my back and something else wrapping around my chest. I slowly turned my head and right there she had decided to reveal herself before planting her lips onto my left cheek. They were soft and warm, but felt genuine and honest until she released them and herself from me.

"So... How'd you like your little 'gifts', provided by your big sister?" She asked as she a hand toward her hip.

My eyes lightly widened from that. "You did all of this?"

She nodded. "Since you were getting older, I thought I'd be best to try something a little...different. Although, I wanted me and the other girls to do it, but a certain "somebody" said no, so I had a different idea in mind. I didn't force Scarlett, Angela, and Chelsea into this if your were asking - just a bit of convincing, and I had to redesign Angela's outfit due to the previous one making her feel uncomfortable."

I raised an eyebrow as she lifted up her bang and pulled out a piece of paper from her Gem. She handed it to me as I opened it up, which made me realize that I should've taken some precaution first. The previous design was a bit more revealing and showed a bit more skin. She must've fainted or immediately said no as soon as she saw this. I then lowered the image from my sight and a question then popped into my head.

"Wait a minute. How did the girls know about my favorite animals? I haven't told them about that."

"I hacked your phone while you were sleeping."

"Y...You hacked my phone?! How'd you get the password?"

Charoite and Lepidolite instantly gave me dead panned expressions. "It's rainbow." They said in unison.

I then reflected their expressions. Note to self: Make a password that isn't easy to find out.

"C'mon now, it's time for your final treat." Charoite said as she took my hand and started running with me and Lepidolite following.

"Don't tell me you've got somebody else in a costume?"

"No, silly. It's time for your birthday cake." Lepidolite said.

Oh...

The three of us continued running until we reached a hill. Just below us I saw the rest of my family alongside the girls with a tall cake sitting still on a long wooden table.

What a birthday this turned out to be as I couldn't help just smile while running down toward them.

 **End of Chapter 11.**

 **Hope you all enjoyed and I've finally added the canon characters in. I wanted to wait until I've introduced my OC's in allow the rest of you to get acquainted with them.**

 **Song play here was Earth Wind Fire And Air by the Hex Girls. I do not own them.**

 **See you all later and I feel glad to be back here.**


	12. A New Change

Chapter 12: A New Change

 _Okay... I can do this. I've learned how to control my powers to their extent. Faced monsters that threatened to cause a lot of collateral damage to various parts of the planet. And even more so, keeping up with school assignments and seeing my friends. I've spent countless hours putting a lot of information in my skull straight into my brain. And today...I'm paying it off._

Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock. Sounds of the clock were all that I could hear as I paid attention to the folder sheet right in front of me.

 _Almost there... Just one more to complete._

I turned the next page and what I got kinda didn't surprise me at the slightest. Good thing I've managed to keep my head on what I needed to learn instead of asking any of my siblings or my dad for help. I could ask them anything, but with what I'm dealing with would've given me an advantage. I couldn't go that route. Besides, it feels better to earn results rather than asking it from somebody else.

 _Name the three spirit animal groups of the world and what each one represents. Okay. This I've memorized at least ten times._

 _The Arch Animals are a tiger, a shark, a swan, a bull, a pig, a deer, a flamingo, a vulture, and a eagle. The tiger represents will. The shark represents fear. The swan represents hope. The bull represents rage. The pig represents greed. The deer is compassion. A flamingo symbolizes love. A vulture showcases death and a eagle is depicted as a symbol of life._

 _The Animals of Negativity are a scorpion, a fox, a bear, the boar, the dog, the wolf, and the griffin. The scorpion brings lust. A fox symbolizes greed. Sloth is characterized as a bear. Boars are shown as gluttony. Dogs have been seen as envy. A wolf can be seen as wrath. And griffins signal pride._

 _The Animals of Purity are a elephant, a dragonfly, a ant, a moose, a seahorse, a giraffe, and a lobster. The elephant brings Chasity. Dragonflies offer Charity. Ants provide diligence. A moose shows temperance. Seahorses have patience. Giraffes are shown to have kindness. And last one. The lobster has humility._

As soon as I've remembered those groups I immediately took my pencil and began writing in the answers. Kinda strange to know how these groups became important symbols to show and educate one generation to the next. Whatever the case was I'm sure each one must've played a part in history in some way.

* * *

About twenty minutes later me and the rest of my classmates completed our final pages. I've had some doubts about all of this and made sure to check and see if each answer I placed in was correct before handing it in.

I was a bit more worried about Lars though. He was sweating a bit when he got his folder, but I've managed to talk to him for a little bit before we all got started. To be honest, I'm more concerned for him passing than myself. He deserves it. Same goes for the girls.

"Alright everyone, the papers have graded. To be honest, I'm really surprised and impressed with all of you. It really helps me to see and know that you all are paying attention and hitting the books. Some of you may think that what you learn here may not be as interesting or entertaining, but I assure you. Subjects like this will come back to you later in your live. You'll never know when it'll hit you, but then again, life always gives you the unexpected at either the worst or the most inconvenient time." My teacher Ms Kelly said as she passed our papers back while showing a smile.

As soon as I saw my grade I smirked. Studying: boring to death, but worth it.

"Hey. How'd you do?" I said to Lars beside me.

He smiled and showed me his grade. I grinned as we shared a fist bump.

"One last thing everyone. This has been a very interesting year for me as your teacher and I wish you all a good vacation. I can to hear all about it when you all return." Ms Kelly said as she stood next to her next.

Before anybody could say a word the bell went off, causing most of my classmates to cheer and grab their stuff to get the hell outta here. I got up from my seat and placed my test in my bag before grabbing it and headed out the door.

"Yo, Kameron."

I turned my head and saw him walking behind me before we both got out while waving and saying goodbye to Ms Kelly.

"Dude, that test was sooo hard. Thanks again for helping me study. It'll get my parents some relief to see me paying attention."

"Yeah. 'Cause I'm sure you would've passed without a little push." I replied with a grin.

He chuckled a little and nudged my arm. Then as we were walking down the hall he instantly froze in place while his eyes widened.

"Dude, are you okay?"

He didn't respond. I looked at the direction he was looking at and caught on. There was a girl near the lockers who had the same reaction as him. She had short white hair with golden eyes and had a swirl pin on the upper left of her hair. She wore a standard white shirt with a black skirt and black high tops with some bracelets on her left wrist.

As the traffic of the hallways started to decrease the girl closed her eyes and shook her head a few times before reopening them and walking over to us.

"Hi...Lars." She said in a quiet tone.

"Uhh... Hey, Haley." He replied nervously. "Uhh... This is my best friend Karter."

"Kameron." I corrected. "Nice to meet you, Haley." I added as I raised my hand to her.

She looked down at it for a moment and placed her hand in it. We shook a few times before released ourselves from each other's grip.

"Nice to meet you too. Scarlett told me about you. Thank you for introducing me to your friend."

"No worries. How's everything going between you two?"

Lars and Haley looked at each other and back to me. This was my first time seeing her and I could already tell on the dot that this was a good match up. She placed a hand on her left arm and rubbed it a few times while looking away before turning back to us.

"We've...just been getting to know each other. We actually haven't been able to see each other due to our different schedules."

"Yeah. Ya know, chores, school work. That sorta thing." Lars added.

I raised an eyebrow at those responses before an idea popped in my head, "Well now that it's summer break it'll give you two more time to see each other. In fact, Lars said he was gonna invite you for some star gazing tonight."

"I did?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Remember? Before we started our exams?" I replied, nudging his arm.

He still looked confused before I nudged my head toward Haley. He looked back at her and caught what I was doing.

"I did. Yeah, I did. Well...only if you want to that is. I mean...we could do something else if you want? I just wanna make sure that-" He said before Haley placed her hand over his mouth, stopping him from rambling on.

"I'd like that." She answered with a grin before removing her hand.

He blushed and smiled a little just as I mimicked his smile.

"I'm sorry for cutting this short, but I gotta go now. I'll see you tonight."

"Yeah. I'll see you at Beach City." He replied as she turned around and walked away.

"*sigh* Dude, you've gotta help me."

"What's wrong? It looked like you and Haley were okay." I asked.

"She's too cute. When I first saw her I nearly got a nosebleed. Every time I see her my heart starts pounding rapidly. I've been barely keeping up a sentence whenever I get a chance to talk to her. Please help me." He explained.

I narrowed my eyes and placed a hand in my pocket. "Just talk to her. Start off small. Make a conversation. Then when the both of you are comfortable just ask her about herself. You got her phone number?"

Lars' eyes widened before he turned his head and started dashing through the halls. I couldn't help but chuckle a little from the reaction.

"Kameron Evans. Please report to the Principal's office. Kameron Evans. Please report to the principal's office." The intercom announced.

 _Right on cue._

* * *

"Alright then everyone. So far there hasn't been too much conflict that I've been hearing. No fights have been displayed and no reports from your teachers or the nurse's office. I'm impressed that the two of you haven't been causing a ruckus as of late." Principal Owens said. "Now. Kameron Evans. Zachery Armstrong. As of now, you both are released from your punishments. However, I do not want a repeat of this to happen again. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir." Me and Zac said in unison.

"Good. All of you may leave and have a good vacation."

I then got up from my seat and grabbed my bag while Zac did the same. The five of us then left the office and just before I could leave I felt a hand on my shoulder, causing me to turn my head.

"Hold up, Foresthead. We ain't done yet."

"Ugh. Seriously, jackass?" Chelsea said as she removed Zac's hand from me.

"I just wanna say something to the freak and I'll be done."

I gripped my right fist from hearing that, but at that exact moment I just turned around to see what he had to say to me. End of the year and he's still a pain in my ass.

"Look. I don't like you and I'm sure the feelings are mutual coming from you. So I've decided to apologize if you swear to not get in my business again. Deal?"

I narrowed my eyes and before I had a chance to speak Scarlett intervened. "Just leave us alone, Zac. You're never gonna stop until you get the last word will you?"

"He started it."

"No he didn't. You did when you were harassing my sister." Angela said sternly.

"I-" He replied, but was quickly interrupted.

"Save it. You're never gonna change and the only people you care about are your boys. Back off or things are gonna get ugly." Chelsea said firmly.

His eyes widened as the girls stood against him. I only stared at him firmly and crossed my arms. He gritted his teeth and balled up his fists while giving us a glare. He was outnumbered and outmatched, but we couldn't start a fight here. Just got out of punishment and we're close to Principal Owens' office. There were a few choices I could predict of what was about to happen, but only two came up and I was gonna make sure the first option doesn't happen.

"Pfft. Fine. You win. I got the message loud and clear." He said as then turned around and walked away from us until he was out of sight.

I dropped my guard and sighed before holding onto my backpack straps. For once he actually chose the second option. Smart move Armstrong.

The girls then turned around to look at me as I walked away with them following me.

"So... Now that all of _that_ is set and done. You got anything goin' on when you get home, Mr. Badass?" Chelsea asked with a small smirk across her lips.

"I was thinking about hangin' out around Beach City and wait until dark to do some star gazing. You girls wanna join?"

"Sure." Angela accepted.

"Sounds interesting." Scarlett added.

"I'm down." Chelsea concluded.

I grew a small smile as we walked through the front door with my dad waiting on me. Since it was the last day I thought it'd be okay for him to drop me off and pick me up. Let's start this vacation off with a bang.

* * *

"See ya later, dad."

"You all enjoy yourselves. And call me when you're ready to come home, Kameron." He replied.

"I will. See you soon."

He nodded as he pushed the windows back up and drove off, leaving me and the girls on the sidewalk.

"What should we do first?" Angela asked.

"Follow me. I've got a case of the munches."

We walked around and made it toward the boardwalk before reaching one of my most favorite areas. Thank the stars I brought my wallet today for this.

"Hey, Mr. Fryman." I called as we approached the counter and saw him finishing pouring ketchup in a large container.

As he was finishing up he turned around and grew a big smile on his face while walking up to us.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Kameron. One of my favorite customers." He said as we shook hands before separating. "And I see you've got some friends with you."

"Give me the usual." I asked. "You girls want anything?" I added all around.

"Just some Lemon Burst if he has any." Scarlett answered.

"Same, please." Angela added.

"Mega Lemon Burst." Chelsea finished.

Mr. Fryman got the orders and went to work while we waited. Ronaldo may have his blogs and looking for the truth about the anomalies around the globe, but that alone to isn't compared to what his dad is best at. This man has one of, if not the most best fries in the whole state. Fish Stew Pizza has the best pizza in the whole state, but fries are my main weakness, especially when he give them some extra love and care.

"Alright then. One pound of my famous Chili Cheese fries, two Lemon Bursts and one Mega Lemon Burst. That'll be eight dollars."

I pulled out my wallet and paid for what we asked before I took the tray holding it all and guided it toward the nearest table across from the beach. A great idea to place on the boardwalk if I do say so myself.

Once I got myself a handful of napkins (trust me, I'm gonna need them) I picked out a single fry covered in cheese and chili before stuffing it straight into my mouthwatering jaws. As soon as it hit my teeth and tongue the inside of my brain exploded. I was finally reunited with one of my long time loves, and her taste was indescribable as a small moan left my mouth as I closed my eyes. Once I reopened them I noticed the girls looking at me with raised eyebrows as they sipped their drinks.

"You girls want some? I've got plenty."

"No thanks. I'm okay." Scarlett said, taking the straw from her mouth.

"Maybe just one." Angela said as she placed her drink down and picked up a fry. She placed it in her mouth and her eyes immediately widened before softening as she chewed and swallowed. "Wow. These are delicious."

"Let me have some too." Chelsea said as she placed down her big jug of soda and grabbed some fries, stuffing them into her mouth. She chewed and swallowed, making a grin appear on her mouth. "Dude, these are hella good."

"You don't know the half of it."

* * *

After finishing up the fries and drinks me and the girls took a walk through the rest of the town. Summer was definitely Beach City's favorite time of the year. A time where the big summer rush comes in, people from out of town visit to see relatives or get some well deserved relaxation, and a time to spend some extra days on some missions without worrying about school or just spend a whole day with Lars, Sadie, or Steven. Speaking of which, it'll be great to visit him a bit more often. Maybe tomorrow if nothing comes up I can see how he's doing.

Just around the corner a strange sound echoed through the air, causing me and the girls to stop in place. Coming out from the corner was none other then Mayor Dewey in a truck with a plastic replica of his head on top whistling out his name.

He noticed and stopped the vehicle, making the siren halt. "Hello there, Kameron. Fancy seeing you around."

"Same."

"Why are you strolling around on the boardwalk?" Angela asked.

"I'm the mayor, missy. I'm not gonna walk around. I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got other business to take care of." He replied before driving off.

We all just watched him go until he disappeared from our sights.

"The guy kinda sucks, huh?" Chelsea asked around.

"Kinda. He says he's the mayor, but sometimes I think he says it as an excuse." I replied as we continued walking.

"He must've been pretty lucky to get elected." Angela mentioned.

"Either that or used some very persuasive words to get his votes." Scarlett replied.

"I'm going for the ladder." I said. "Hey, wanna hangout at Music World."

They each agreed as well all went straight into the store up ahead.

* * *

Nightfall had approached and a good ton of people showed up to watch the stars. Me, Angela, Chelsea, and Scarlett took our seats near the ocean on the sand. I turned my head to the right and noticed Lars with Haley. I cracked a smiled at them while turning back to watch the stars. There were so many out tonight - the universe must've been generous and wanted to give us a good look at it's beauty and views. The moon around them really made the sky and the atmosphere a bit more mystic. Not sure, but as far as I can remember the stars are said to be other planets in the solar system. Somewhere out there if anyone or even an alien is watching them, our planet is a star too.

"Hey, Kameron."

I snapped out of my trance from the sky and turned my attention to Scarlett.

"You okay?" She asked.

"Yeah. Just kinda fixated on the sky. Thanks again for hanging out with me girls."

"Of Course, man. Besides, now that the moon is shining upon us there are a few loose end that need to be tied up." Chelsea said as she placed an elbow on my shoulder.

"Loose ends?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"None of my business, but...how are you good at playing matchmaker over there?" She asked, referring to my friend and Scarlett's.

"I've read a few romance books and seen a few movies about it. Plus a bit of advice I got from my sisters."

"Really? You ever tried any of that on a girl you like?" She asked with a sly grin.

"Chelsea." Angela said with a small groan.

"What? It's just an honest question." She replied to her sister.

I felt that kind of question would come sooner or later. I did tell Lepidolite that I'd try to find love at my own pace, but with everything else going on I couldn't really put my mind onto it. Even so...it'd probably wouldn't work out so well.

"I'll just wait until I'm ready." I answered.

Chelsea raised an eyebrow, "Seriously? You're surrounded by three hot chicks and that's your best guess?"

"I have my reasons."

"Are you gay?"

My eyes immediately widened from that. "No. I'm not a homosexual. I just...don't think I'll be good at dating or be a good boyfriend." I said truthfully.

"Why would you think that?" Angela asked.

My smile vanished. My vision turned to my right arm as I then gripped onto my right wrist and brought it onto my lap.

I then felt something on my other shoulder and turned to see Scarlett who was carrying a worried expression.

"You don't have to tell us if you don't want to." She said softly.

I shook my head. "No. I...I want to talk. To each of you."

"We're all ears." Chelsea said.

I closed my eyes and breathed through my nose before exhaling from them. "If I get a girlfriend, I'll have to tell her my secret. When that happens, I don't know if she'll like it or be disgusted. And more importantly, I'll make her worry if I'll ever come back alive or not. I can't risk that."

"What are you talking about?" Scarlett asked.

"My Gem. I'm a hybrid. I'm only half human. My other half comes from my Gem covered in bandages. I wear them to suppress my powers and make sure I don't activate my second power. I never asked for these abilities. I never asked to have them, but I do and it took a lot of time to control them and use them through my own will and soul. My father and my siblings trained me to push my limits and to become a Rainbow Gem. It scared my mom, even more when I would almost die. Nearly gave her a heart attack and I blame myself for it, but nonetheless I chose to do this and she supported my decision. What I do isn't a game. I learned that the hard way and I have to take being a Gem seriously, because if I make a critical mistake, that's it. As a human, I hide my powers because others don't understand and some would just pick on me just because I'm different. Humans can be cruel and some can't handle the responsibility I placed onto myself. I have to live with that."

Once I was done I gripped onto my wrist even tighter as the memories came back. Memories that'll never fade from my subconscious until I'm a corpse. I looked at my friends and noticed them being quiet, taking in what I just said. Angela and Chelsea have already seen me having my first power covering my whole body and why it's hard keeping it a secret, but Scarlett was new at it. Whatever reaction they'll respond with I'll be fine with it.

At that moment I felt something touch my right hand. I looked down at it looked at the one holding it. She then pushed her face towards mine and pressed her lips against my right cheek. I felt frozen. My heart started to pump a bit quicker while my cheeks started to get warmer. She then pulled away and I felt her hand intertwine with mine.

"Kameron. What you have is a gift. It's not a curse. I'm sorry if this is how you feel and even if me and the girls can't fully understand what you've experienced that doesn't mean we're not your friends. We are. You shouldn't be afraid to talk to us, okay? I accept you for who you are, not for the person you're not. I want to be apart of your life, only if you'll let me."

What she told me made me speechless. I wasn't sure on how to respond. She smiled at me and I couldn't help but return it as I tightened our grip.

"Do you two need a room?" Chelsea asked.

And now that tender moment was flushed down the toilet and I retracted my hand back before turning around to look at her and her sister.

"That's just my sister's way of saying we're here with you." Angela said as she lightly tapped my back.

I grinned from that. However just as I was about to say something I heard someone call out my name. I quickly turned my head and saw Steven running toward us while carrying what looked like a mirror.

"Kameron!"

Me and the girls got up as he then approached us. "What's wrong Steven?"

"I need your help. It's this mirror. I want to help it, but I don't know what to do." He said with a worried tone.

I cocked an eyebrow from that and asked for the mirror. Once I brought it toward my face the reflection started to vibrate and images started to randomly flash images.

"Away from home. Let. Me. OUUUUT!"

What the hell? I wasn't sure on what to do myself, so I guess a bit of improvising should do.

"Um... Listen. We'll help you. I promise, but please tell us how."

The reflection then show the back of it. It looked like a Gem and a hand removing it. I then turned the mirror around and when I saw the Gem it looked identical to Azurite's on her neck, only it carried a large crack in it. Whether or not removing it was a bad option, something had to be done as I narrowed my eyes.

"Steven. Remove the Gem. I don't know what'll happen, but if something is trapped in it, set it free."

He narrowed his eyes as I gave him the mirror. He started grunting as he attempted to pull it out. I then fell on one knee and placed my hand over using my other one to hold the handle. He looked at me and nodded to my actions as we both then pulled on the Gem together. Grunts exited from our mouths as we pulled while I felt a suddenly wetness from underneath us.

"Uhh...guys?" Angela called out.

In a flash we managed to pull the Gem out. When this happened the mirror rapidly shattered and the Gem glowed before levitating out of our hands. It floated toward the ocean and began to form until it became a girl and fell onto her knees.

Steven gasped as I got up to go to the girl with the others following. When we approached her she turned her head and revealed her face. She instantly reminded me of Azurite, only a bit younger and her eyes didn't show signs of pupils and irises, they were clear and showed reflections of me and Steven.

"Thank you..." She said as she stood up.

As she did she tumbled forward before I stepped in and she fell into my arms. "Hey, take it easy."

"Thank you so much." She replied with a smile at me before stepping back. "You're Steven, right?" She added, turning her head to him.

He nodded as the girl turned to me. "Who are you?"

"You can call me Kameron. And this is Angela, Chelsea, and Scarlett."

The girls slowly waved at her as I could tell they looked a little confused on what was happening right now.

"I'm Lapis. Lapis Lazuli." The girl said. "Thank you for setting me free, but why did you?"

I cocked an eyebrow from that and just before anyone one of us said a word, a loud shout echoed in the air.

"STEVEN!"

We all turned around to see the Crystals showing up and arming themselves with their weapons.

"Wait!" Steven cried as he ran over to them.

"You..." Lapis said as I quickly turned around to look at her. "You three knew I was in there, and you didn't do anything. Did you even wonder who I use to be!?" From the ocean she summoned out a large water hand and smacked it hard toward us, causing a shockwave to push me and girls back along with the others.

I grunted from the impact and looked at the girls who were doing the same thing while I got up and walked toward Lapis with Steven by my side.

"What are you doing?" Steven asked.

"I am Lapis Lazuli! And you can't keep me trapped here anymore!" She screamed.

"What are you talking about Lapis?" I asked.

"You both wouldn't understand. They're not gonna let us leave."

Leave?

She then turned around and raised a hand, splitting the ocean in two and creating a pathway. "Steven. Come with me."

"Where?"

"Home."

I looked at Steven who looked very hesitant as he stuttered to answered while backing away slightly. I turned back to Lapis who frowned and looked at me. "Kameron. Will you come with me?"

I wasn't on how to answer that or what she meant by going 'home'. I was then about to answer before I felt someone grabbing my right arm. I turned my head to see Scarlett showing a firm expression.

"You're not taking him anywhere."

"Kameron stays with us and you'll have to go through us if you want him." Angela said as she and Chelsea stood in front of me.

"That's double for me." Chelsea added.

I looked at Lapis as she frown and looked down at the sand before quickly looking back at us, closing the pathway in the process. "Fine!"

Just then a gust of wind blew through us as I turned around to see Garnet rushing toward us.

"Don't trust them, guys. Goodbye." Lapis said as she turned and exited through the ocean while splashing us back.

I coughed a few times and got up to go check on the girls while the Crystals checked on Steven.

"You all okay?"

"Other then getting totally soaked, I think we can manage." Chelsea said as she got up.

"That was another Gem, wasn't it?" Angela asked.

I nodded.

"What's gonna happen now?" Scarlett asked.

"Not sure. But I believe this is something my family should know about."

Good thing Lars and Haley weren't around to see this.

 **Hope you all enjoyed.**

 **I am very happy to finally introduce one of my favorite characters from the show.**

 **See you all soon. Get prepared for what happens next.**


	13. Merciless Waters

Chapter 13: Merciless Waters

When we arrived at our destination I couldn't even say a word. This was as bad as I thought it'd be. Me, the girls, my mom, and half of my siblings walked forward to what should be described as a desert. Ahead of us were various citizens of Beach City wondering what the hell is going on.

"Mr. Evans!" Said Mayor Dewey as he approached us. "What is going on here!?" He added through his megaphone.

I squinted my eyes from the volume before reopening them and answered his question. "Isn't it a bit obvious? The ocean disappeared."

"It has! Now it's just a desert. Nobody wants to take a trip to "Desert" City. We're gonna lose all of our summer business!"

"I don't think that's really the major issue, Mayor Dewey."

"It is to me and the rest of residents! As the mayor, I DEMAND you explain this immediate-"

Before he could continue yelling in my face his megaphone was taken from him. I turned my head to see my brother Pyrope having it in his left hand before squeezing it and lighting it on fire until it turned to ash. He then grabbed the mayor by his collar and pulled him toward his face while showing a glare.

"Listen here, Mr. Mayor. Stop tryin' to make my brother go deaf. Secondly, we're gonna fix of this. Why don't you go over to the others and tell them everything's gonna be alright or ya might want to get a new suit." He said firmly as he brought up his right fist and it was caught on fire.

Mayor Dewey was shivering a little until he was able to respond, "O...kay."

Pyrope then released him as he then ran over to the locals.

I looked over and noticed Lars comforting Haley along with Sadie. I wanted to go over there and ask if they were okay, but apart of me told me not to. They would want an explination on what's going and that would also mean telling them my secret. Out of anybody in the world, lying to Lars and Sadie is the hardest. They're both my best friends and they do deserve the truth, but...what would they think of me then. Besides, finding Lapis is a bit more important right now.

Behind me I heard someone call out my name and as I turned around I saw Steven, the Crystals, and Greg coming to see the situation.

"Pearl." Amber said as she crossed her arms.

"Amber." She replied, narrowing her eyes like my sister is doing.

"It's been a while, hasn't it."

"It has."

"Wait a minute. Who are you guys?" Amethyst asked.

"Amethyst, this is Amber, Azurite, and Pyrope. They're my brothers and sisters, and they're known as the Rainbow Gems." I replied.

"These are your brothers and sisters?" Steven asked me, receiving a nod. "Why didn't tell me this?"

"We can talk about that later. Right now we've gotta find Lapis Lazuli."

"Lapis Lazuli?"

"She's the Gem you and Kameron released from the mirror." Pearl replied before showing a hologram of Lapis.

"But she's a Gem, just like us."

"There are a lot of things you don't know about Gems, Steven."

"Clearly keepin' secrets again, as usual." Pyrope called out.

"Pyrope. This isn't the time." Azurite replied to him before taking a step forward. "Before anything else happens, I suggest one of you explain about this "mirror" you mentioned." She added while looking at Pearl.

* * *

We all then went back to the beach house to talk over how all of this happened. I could tell from my siblings and from Garnet and Pearl that they weren't enjoying seeing each other again while Amethyst was curious about them. The girls and my mom were met with Steven's furry friend along with Connie. Connie wasn't much of a concern, but Lion sure was, and luckily I told them he was a friend unless he's provoked. Still can't believe his dad and the others allowed Steven to keep him, but then again we're living in a world where crazy crap happens.

"I didn't know there was actually somebody trapped inside, let alone a Gem that powerful." Pearl said.

"Yet ya still gave it to a child without any precaution or even removin' the Gem to see if somebody was there." Amber pointed out.

"I didn't know! I found it by the Galaxy Warp and kept it in case it held any information."

"It matters not. We all should focus on finding her and I do believe it would be best if we work together. We each share different views on the situation at hand and even if we don't like it we must work as one once more." Azurite said.

"You guys use to work together?" Amethyst asked.

"For a time. But not anymore." Garnet replied before she walked up to Azurite. Even though she was wearing shades they were still looking at each other eye to eye. they were both silent for a few seconds until she responded again, "We'll work together. But only to retrieve the ocean. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

I grew a light smile from hearing this and turned my attention to the girls. "Girls. Think it'll be best if you three stay behind."

"No way. I wanna see you kick some tail." Chelsea declined.

"Listen. This isn't like what happened in Japan and you and your sister almost got hurt because of me. I get that you want to help, but this time is different."

"We can take care of ourselves."

I groaned mentally before my mom spoke up. "Chelsea, please understand what Kameron is saying. You, Angela, and Scarlett are very brave. I can see it in your eyes and I'm glad to hear that you protected my son from an opposing Gem. However, as of now it is best for you three to remain behind. You shouldn't make your parents worry if they don't know where you all are."

Chelsea looked at her sister and Scarlett, seeing that they agreed to this and turned back to me. She got up from her seat and approached me as we locked eyes. We both didn't say a word for a few seconds until she broke the silence.

"Alright. I'll back off. But you better come back or I'll never forgive you."

"Deal."

She then backed away and left. Angela then looked at me, "Be careful."

"Promise."

Last was Scarlett. She came up to me and landed a kiss on my cheek. "For good luck."

I was stunned for a moment as she gave me a smile before turning around and left through the door.

"Oooh. Looks like somebody's a lady killer." Amethyst said.

"Let's just go before the entire aqua Eco-system is gone."

* * *

We all then headed off to find Lapis. Since it was unclear where she was, the best option was to travel straight ahead. My mom and Greg's vans were side by side while Lion was in the middle with Steven and Connie riding on him.

"Remind me again why you're tagging along, mom?" I asked from the back.

"Well since Onyx isn't here I thought it'd be best to give you all the transportation. Besides, it's been a long time since I've went on an adventure and it'll save your sister some energy instead of carrying all of us there." She answered.

It made sense.

"Still think it would've been better if the five of us handled this." Pyrope said.

"Pyrope. As much as you don't like this we still have to learn how to get along with the others. It's been ages since you all have seen them." My mom said.

"We left them for a reason."

"I know. But it still doesn't hurt to try, so behave yourself."

He groaned and turned to the window while placing his hand on his chin.

I turned my head to the left and saw Azurite closing her eyes and intertwining her hands while they were close to her chest. I wasn't sure what she was praying about, but since I told her about Lapis last night she's had something on her mind lately. I wasn't sure if asking her about it again would work. All that she said was that one of her halves and Lapis were friends. This was definitely personal for her.

As for Amber behind me, she was checking on her guns, pulling out the barrels and making them spin before locking them back in. Getting prepared for what was to come was something she made a habit of.

Over on my right I looked at Steven and Connie holding onto Lion as he ran. My vision changed to Greg's van with Garnet in shotgun, but then out of nowhere she just opened up the door and fell out while rolling. What was that all about?

* * *

Nightfall came and Amber took over driving while my mom slept in the far back and I got shot gun while Pyrope decided to cool down behind me. To my right I saw Connie sleeping on Steven's back and Pearl taking over for Greg with Garnet just stationed on the roof.

"Kameron." Said Steven beside me.

"You okay, little buddy?" I replied.

"How come you didn't tell me you had brothers and sisters?"

"You would've gotten over excited and beg for me to introduce you them. Also this isn't all of them."

"Where are they?"

"They're with my dad, talking to the president. Our ocean isn't the only one Lapis took. She took all of them from across the globe."

"Really?!"

I nodded, "Plus whatever she's gonna do with them needs to stop."

"We just have to talk to her. I still can't believe Lapis would do something like this. Gems shouldn't be fighting each other."

"We're always fighting Gems, actually." Pearl pitched in.

"What?!" Steven gasped while I cocked an eyebrow.

"You see, all Gems aren't always good."

"All those monsters we fight use to be just like us, right Pearl?" Amethyst pitched in.

"What?!" I replied with a light yell. I then turned my head and looked at Amber.

"We were gonna tell ya. Swear. We just...couldn't find the right words until you were old enough." She replied as she focused on her driving.

I then turned my head to the back to look at Pyrope and Azurite, who looked at each other and then back to me.

"What happened, Kameron, was that they've become corrupted and broken. This is the reason why we need to take care of them and contain them in bubbles. Otherwise, there is no telling what they'll do or who they might hurt. I'm sorry if this isn't the right moment to tell you this." Azurite said.

"I understand. You all just wanted to wait until I was older." I replied as I turned back from them.

"Look, man. If we told ya when you were a kid you wouldn't be sure on what to do. You can ask your questions when this is all set and done, deal?" Pyrope told me over my shoulder.

"Deal. And believe me, I've got a lot to ask my dad and all of you."

"I'm sure ya do, but brace yourself because the tale ain't nice in the slightest." Amber said.

All this time, all those monsters use to be normal Gems. Whatever caused them to become like this must've been something powerful.

Up ahead there was a gigantic tower entirely made of water with clouds circling around it. This must've been where Lapis went.

"Pyrope. Wake up my mom."

"On it." He replied as we all then came to a stop.

I exited out of the van with Steven getting off of Lion. Once the rest of us were present we walked up to the tower and inside of it were a lot of sea creatures acting like nothing was wrong.

"Wow. It's like a giant aquarium." Connie said with awe.

"No time for observing, girly." Pyrope said as he stepped forward. "A little heat should be able to take this down." He added as his hands started admitting smoke.

"Hold on there, hothead. Do that and ya'll cook the critters inside." Amber said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Then what about you putting out some sparks?"

"That'll cook'em up too. Ya gotta use ya head once in a while, brother."

"Just makin' some suggestions, sis."

"Some dumb ones."

He glared at her from that comment before she returned it as they soon butted heads while lightly growling.

"Are they always like that?" Connie asked me.

"Kinda. Brothers and sisters are suppose to get on your nerves at drive you crazy. It's kinda their jobs." I replied.

"YOU SHOULDN'T BE HERE!" A loud voice called out, breaking Pyrope and Amber from their argument.

"Lapis Lazuli! It's me, Steven. Kameron's here too!" Steven called out.

I looked at the tower and from the water itself Lapis' face emerged.

"Go away before I make you." She said sternly.

"We can't do that, Lapis. Also, there's somebody here who wants to talk to you." I said as I approached her.

"I won't repeat myself."

I sighed and stepped aside, allowing my sister Azurite to walk up from behind me.

"Who are you?"

Azurite didn't reply, instead she placed her hands together and intertwined her fingers while closing her eyes. As this happened a blue aura appeared around her before her entire body glowed blue and from her two lights separated. These lights formed two different beings who intertwined their hands together and had their foreheads touching one another. They soon opened their eyes and separated, showing themselves to Lapis while the others except for me, Pyrope, Amber, and my mom were utterly speechless.

The one on the left was female. She looked identical to Lapis, only she looked older and she wore a white crop top with a short white skirt, bracelets on both arms and was barefoot. She also has long dark blue hair, light blue skin, and her Gem was on the the back of her neck.

The other on the right was male. He was shirtless and had a shaved head with a white headband. He wore white pants with white sandles and also had light blue skin. Both him and the woman also had a ring on their third finger from their right hands. Along with that his Gem was in his left palm.

"You..." Lapis said softly.

"I'm here, Lapis. It's okay. We're here to help you. Please let us." The woman said with a mature and gentle voice.

"Are you one of them? One of the Crystal Gems?" Lapis replied hesitantly.

"No." The woman replied as she shook her head. "I am a Rainbow Gem. I will explain everything to you, but you must release the oceans. Then We can help you."

"You don't understand. Just leave me alone, please." She replied as she returned to the tower.

"I'm afraid we cannot do that. We will not leave until you return the oceans to the world." The male said with what sounded like a young voice.

"So be it."

* * *

 **No POV**

From Lapis' tower water duplicates of the Rainbow Gems and the Crystal Gems emerged.

"Greg. Christie. Protect the kids, we'll handle this." Pearl said.

"Steven. Connie. Stay with us." Christie called out. They listened and went over to the adults.

"Cobalt." The woman said to her other.

"I'm afraid so, Zuli." He replied as they emerged again, forming Azurite once more.

Both groups summoned out their weapons which also made their replicas mimic them, only they were made of ice.

"We all need to say together. Don't let them separate any of us." Garnet announced.

Within a blink of an eye Replica Garnet dashed forward and smashed straight into her original. As she then dealt with her match Pyrope lit his axe on fire and dashed straight into his replica. His weapon managed to break his clone's axe before sliced him in half. However the clone quickly repaired itself and blasted him with a large surge of water, sending him flying pass the others and impacting into a nearby boulder.

Amber aimed her guns at her replica, firing off small fractions of electric bolts, but her clone mimicked this by firing at the exact time. Both of them ran side by side and kept firing their elemental bullets. counter after counter she then placed her guns away and held her hands close together. This in turn caused a surge of electricity to began erupting from her palms before she released them at her replica, causing it to stutter until it evaporated into mist. Unfortunately, the vapors were able to form again and her replica was able reemerge.

"Dammit it.." She cursed before covering both of her in lightning.

Azurite took flight and summoned out her staff with her replica facing her until she dashed forward and they collided. Both of them struggled against one another until the replica pushed her back a few feet.

"Lapis. We don't have to do this." She begged as she tightened her grip on her staff.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Her replica replied using Lapis' voice as she charged at her.

"It doesn't have to be like this. We just want to help you." Kameron said as he was struggling with his replica.

"Why? You don't know me. You have know idea what I've been through. You should've left me alone when you had the CHANCE!" She replied, pushing him back hard.

He slid away from the replica as his feet dragged from the ground. He glared at her and gripped his fists while raising his right arm at her in the form of a crystal blade.

"You're right. I can't understand what you've been through and I don't know you, but I do want to help you. I can hear it in your voice that you need it." He said to her before running up to the replica and clashing again, only this time he was able to push it back a few feet toward the tower. "There's really no point in this. You have to return the oceans back or else this planet is going to dry up."

"I. Don't. CARE!"

The replica knocked away his crystal arm before grabbing his neck and engulfing his head in water while holding him up. He wiggled his legs and attempted to pierce the water bubble, but this only caused the crystal to pass into it. Christie looked over at what was going on just as Lion was knocked back by replica Steven.

"Oh no, not the van!" Greg cried out.

"Revenge!" Steven yelled.

"Revenge!" Connie yelled.

They both then ran toward replica Steven, but Christie then grabbed then by the shoulders. "Uh-uh. You two need to stay back or else-" She didn't finish her sentence as she noticed her son being suffocated. "Kameron!" She cried as she ran over toward them and picked up a big rock to throw at it. "Let go of my baby!"

When she threw it it didn't effect the replica that much as she was then taken by it with her head now engulfed in water.

Greg turned around and saw this while also noticing Steven and Connie being suffocated. He narrowed his eyes and went straight into his van before going full throttle at the replicas, smashing through replica Kameron and replica Steven. Kameron started coughing and noticed his mom doing the same before rushing over to her and helping her to her feet.

"Are you okay, mom?"

"Well *cough* other then almost drowning *cough* I'll managed. What about you?"

"That doesn't matter."

Her eyes widened from his response, and just before she could reply they both heard a large crash from behind. They turned their heads to see Greg's van smashed into the ground with him crawling out of the driver seat while groan and both Steven and Connie went to check on him. Kameron then looked all around to see his siblings and the Crystals still struggling against their own clones.

Enough was enough.

* * *

 **Kameron**

"Lapis. No more." I said to my replica.

It didn't reply. Instead, it created another ice blade from it's left arm and charged straight at me. That's it.

"I SAID NO MORE!" I yelled before crystallizing my left arm and punching the blade.

The blade instantly broke apart and caused some kind of chain reaction as my replica then started to vibrate before dissolving. I cocked an eyebrow from this as I soon looked all around to see the rest of them reacting in the same way as well as noticing Steven busting out a shield before it disappeared from his left arm.

He looked at him with narrowed eyes as I did and we both knew what had to be done to end all of this. I then walked away from my mother and approached the water tower with Steven by my side.

"Lapis. We're coming up to see you. So please don't drown us." He said to it.

"Boys. It could be dangerous." My mom called out.

I turned my head to her, "Mom. We got this. Go check on the others."

"But-" She replied before stopping herself and just nodded to what I asked her.

I then turned my attention back to the tower and out of nowhere a water hand erupted from it. I placed on my goggles as me and Steven went onto it before we were taken inside and ascended to the top.

* * *

Moments later when we reached the top both me and Steven had our bodies trapped in water while our heads were free.

"Lapis." Steven said as we both looked at her, seeing her firm expression.

"Why are you two trying to stop me?" She asked angerly.

"You know why." I replied. "What are you even doing? This is completely insane!"

"Kameron's right. Can't we just talk this out?" Steven asked.

Lapis then pulled the both of us toward her face. "Don't you two know anything? The Crystal Gems don't care about other Gems. The only thing that matters to them is the Earth. But I've never believed in this place. Not now. Not ever. And even my own friend fights against me."

"She had too because of what you did." I replied.

Lapis then released us and walked away before sitting down on her knees near the edge of the tower. I looked at Steven as he turned to me before the both of us walked up to Lapis and took a seat next to her. Me on her right and Steven on her left.

When I looked at her her expression changed. She didn't show any signs of anger or hate, instead it was replaced with a frown of sorrow as she closed her eyes. Despite what she was doing and her actions, seeing her like this caused me and Steven to frown too before I slowly placed my hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump lightly before she turned her head to me.

"Lapis. Why are you doing this?" I asked with a soften tone.

"I just...want to go home. That's all I want. It's what I've been trying to do." She replied with a sad tone in her voice.

"I see."

"We get how lonely it is to be away from home, but that's why we're here. You took the oceans away. And the oceans are an important part of our home." Steven added.

"I'm only using the oceans because my Gem is cracked. If I just stretch far enough then maybe..." She explained as I removed my hand. "Ugh. This is never going to work."

I then pulled my head back and looked at her Gem, noticing the crack from it.

"Why didn't you just tell us this from the start. Steven has healing powers."

"You have healing powers?" She asked while turning to him.

"I know, right?" Steven called out.

"Oh. Uh...what should I do?"

"You might want to close your eyes for this." I asked.

She listened closed them as I turned to Steven, seeing him licking his own hand now covered in saliva. I looked away from this and hear Lapis studder from the touch. Why couldn't his healing powers come from his own hands?

I then turned back and at that moment her Gem started to glow and the crack instantly disappeared. More then that, wings erupted from the Gem made from water just like my sister's, giving her the appearance of a angel. She then turned around and looked at us, revealing her blue eyes.

"Thank you, Steven." She said with joy and a smile.

"No prob, bob."

Her expression then turned dead panned. "It's Lapis."

"Uh-huh."

I then stood up as she looked at me. "Hey. About what I did-"

"You don't need to apologize. I understand."

She grew a light smile before Steven went up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She was paralyzed from the action and looked down at him with a confused expression, but slowly smiled and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"I just thought you needed that." He said after separating from her.

"Thank you."

"Kameron. You should give her one too." He said, turning his head to me.

My eyes lightly widened from hearing that as I turned my attention back to Lapis. We both looked at each other and for some reason I was a bit unsure about this, but apart of me thought to do it not because Steven said so, but because she needed it. Heaven knows how long she was trapped in that mirror. I then slowly walked up to her and slowly wrapped my arms around her waist as she did the same while rested her head on my shoulder. I could feel her tightening her grip, but I didn't mind.

We stayed in the position for a while until we had to separate and a smile appeared on her face, causing me to mimic it.

"Can you tell Zuli thank you?"

I nodded.

She then turned around and looked back at us. "Goodbye."

She then flapped her wings and took off into the depths of space. But then as she left a thought came to my head. She created the tower and without her then - oh crap.

Seconds later the tower started to collapse and made both me and Steven fall straight down. As we were falling I turned my head to the left to see Lion and Connie. They took Steven and he then turned around and tried to reach out for me. I reached out and tried to grab his hand, but I couldn't and continued falling rapidly.

"AWW CRAP!"

I had to think fast, but just as I was about to find a way to break my fall I saw Azurite flying toward me with her arms. I stretched out mine and impacted her before wrapping my arms around her before we hit the ground on our feet.

Things didn't stop there as a massive amount of water was about to crush us.

* * *

Thank the stars Azurite and Steven acted in the nick of time. Thanks to them creating bubbles around us we've managed to be safe from the water as the oceans reverted back to how they were.

Afterwards we all made it back to Beach City with Greg's van in a wreck and Christie's only having minimum damage. I got off of the roof and up ahead I saw the citizens of the town coming up to us, including the girls, Lars, Sadie, Haley, and the rest of my family.

Angela and Scarlett tackled me to the ground, but that didn't even come close to when Lepidolite jumped onto my chest and gave me a barrage of kisses on my cheek. I just allowed her to do this until she was done and I managed to get up from the sand. I then saw Chelsea as she punched my shoulder lightly while smiling. Then Charoite wrapped her arms around me and kissed my right cheek softly.

Once she was done I turned to my dad as he smiled at me. I returned it, but then I lost it as I approached him and he could see in my eyes that something happened during our trip to stop Lapis.

"Dad. We need to talk."

 **End of Chapter 13.**

 **Hope you all enjoyed this. Mirror Gem and Ocean Gem will always be my favorite episodes of the show. I do like some others, but these stand out as the best, and it is mostly because of Lapis' introduction and how the show itself became more interesting for me.**

 **Here are also two new characters. Zuli who is also voiced by Jennifer Paz, only her voice is gentle and mature. Cobalt who is voiced by the one and only legendary voice actor Troy Baker. Think of Orkos from God of War Ascension and that's his voice here. I don't own anything.**

 **Next chapter will come soon and It's something I've thought long and hard about, but will try to put it in words the best I can.**

 **See you all soon.**


	14. Origins Part 1

**Hi everyone. Hope you all are doing well.**

 **Now before we begin I would like to say in advance that this chapter is a three-parter. A friend of mine helped me with it and this is something that's been on my mine ever since I've met all the Diamonds.**

 **Please enjoy. Warning: Long chapter, possibly.**

Chapter 14: Origins Part 1

 _Long ago, when the universe was in it's beginnings, there was a planet. Though there were various planets being born, there was one planet the differed from the rest. For after the universe itself had given life came the very actions that this special planet held._

 _On this very planet there was grass. It was spread far and wide, covering nearly the entire land. However, not only was there grass, but there was also large amounts of water and equal amounts of sand to let it wash up and down, creating a cycle. The skies were very clear. Not a single sight of a cloud could be seen, a very exciting time to happen on this very day. Although nothing at the moment was happening, that was soon about to change._

 _From the ground it started to shake. The large water started shaking rapidly while the ground shook violently. Within only minutes the shaking then stopped, but as it did five large rock arms burst straight from the grasslands. These very arms were not apart of each other. Instead, each arm grabbed the grass below them and from it came where the arms belonged to. Out of the ground came giant beings made from solid rock. They pushed and clawed themselves out before having a chance to stand up._

 _These very beings had some similarities, but there were various differences between them. One of them was physically the largest. One of them was physically the smallest. The remaining three were of same height, but one of them was only an inch taller than the rest._

 _These creatures turned their heads and observed were they were. They soon looked at one another and gathered as one around the gigantic holes they sprang from. The creatures soon turned their heads to the light shining upon them. The light felt warm, soothing and gentle. It's radiance caused them to reach out for it, but to no avail. The very light instead made them feel calm and it then added a strange effect to them. An array of auras began to erupt from the rock creatures. Each one gave off a different color._

 _They were frightened from seeing one another glowing, but shortly after a few seconds they looked at their hands. The auras started getting bigger and as they did the various colorful lights started to engulf them. The smallest began to panic with the second tallest following while the rest were completely terrified. They each had no idea what was even happening as the lights continued consuming them while causing them to freeze in place._

 _White. Yellow. Blue. Green. Pink. These five colors of light shined brightly and erupted straight through the very atmosphere of the planet. This very event then started to dim. The lights began to shrink and when they returned to the creatures their very bodies had changed when the light and their auras disappeared. The one who was the largest gained the colors white and black. The smallest received various forms of pink. One was given different types of yellow. The other had different aspects of blue along with white hair. And as for the second tallest, this one obtained the color green with long waist length hair, similar to the blue one._

 _"Well... That was certainly an experience." The one of White said to the rest._

 _"Certainly." The one of yellow replied. "Although, what are we?"_

 _"Well... Didn't we all just burst from the ground and looked at that?" The one of pink said, pointing out the light within the sky._

 _The others looked up and soon covered their eyes with their arms before looking away and grunting._

 _"If I may say, what has happened to us? As the little one said we "burst" from the ground, saw that sphere of light, and all of a sudden we've changed and can speak." The one of blue said._

 _"I agree. This is rather curious. I, myself can't even understand what had happened." The one of green said before he turned around and noticed the massive amount of water behind them. "And not only that, but does any of you have recollection of what we were doing before obtaining these forms and appearing here?" He added, turning his head to the others._

 _They soon began to think about it. After a while the white one spoke, "I don't have anything of the sort. What about the rest of you?"_

 _The yellow, blue, and pink ones shook their heads as did the green one._

 _"Wait. What about these stones on our bodies? Do they mean anything?" The pink one asked, pointing at hers directed at her navel._

 _The one of green looked at his from his right wrist. The yellow and blue ones turned to theirs on their chests and the white one looked up at hers on her forehead._

 _"Very curious." The white one said. "Perhaps it would be best if we don't touch them."_

 _"Why not?" The pink one asked._

 _"I have a theory that if we do, then something would happen to ourselves. In the meantime, why don't we all find out where we are?"_

 _"Sounds reasonable. However, if the five of us do engage into this, then we must know each others names." The yellow one said._

 _"Hmm. What are our names?" The blue one asked around._

 _Each one of them thought about that. Even if they have no memory of what had happen having a name could've been something for them to remember for themselves._

 _"I don't recall mine." The green one said._

 _"Me neither." The pink one said before she grew a smile and gasped. "Hey, I have an idea. Why don't we just name ourselves depending on what color we're showing."_

 _The white, yellow, and blue ones raised eyebrows at that suggestion while the green one placed a finger underneath his chin about it._

 _"I believe that'll work." The white one replied before clearing her throat. "So, as of this moment, you all shall address me as White. Any objections?"_

 _Nobody disagreed._

 _"Very well. I suppose you all can call me Yellow." The yellow one addressed._

 _"And I shall be Blue." The blue one added in._

 _"My name is Pink." The pink one said as she placed her hands on her hips while showing a proud smile._

 _"Green then for me." The green one said. "Now that this has been resolved, what do you all suppose we do now?"_

 _"I recommend we explore the rest of this place. Wherever we are, it would be wise to see if it's safe to be here." Blue offered._

 _"That sounds splendid. Where should we start?" White agreed wholesomely._

 _"This way!" Pink screamed as she ran passed the others toward the horizon. "C'mon, guys. There's no time to waste."_

 _"I do believe we have enough time." Green said as he walked toward her direction._

 _"Very well." Yellow added, following him._

 _"I am very curious as to what we'll see." Blue added with a small smile._

 _White simply smiled without saying a word and followed without a second thought._

* * *

 _Into the unknown. That is what these five beings were heading off to. What they didn't count on was the fact that the planet they were on was enormous. For endless hours as they traversed they came across some very interesting places._

 _Their first stop was a giant valley of flowers. The moment Pink saw this she literally screamed into the sky and ran into them. She jumped into the air and fell right into the pile of flowers while giggling out loud and laughing. When she got up she started twirling around and began skipping until she finally fell onto her back and sighed while closing her eyes._

 _"What's gotten into you, Pink?" White asked as she bent down to look at her with the others gathered in._

 _"I don't know. Just the sight of these beautiful things suddenly made me want to just explode and laugh. *giggling* I guess I went a little overboard,huh?" She replied._

 _"Maybe a tad." Blue said._

 _"I suggest we keep moving." Yellow said as she started walking away._

 _"Aww." Pink whined as she stood up. "Can we stay a little longer?"_

 _"We still have more to do, Pink. Once we're done you can come back if you like."_

 _Pink immediately smiled from that and got up before rushing over to Yellow and wrapping her arms around her leg. Yellow paused from this action and looked down at Pink. She looked up at her and smiled, causing Yellow to grow a light smile before she was released. The others took notice of this and smiled while keeping up with them._

* * *

 _The next destination was a place that was completely the opposite of the flower valley._

 _The area was dry and had large boulders piled around. There wasn't any grass either. That was replaced with solid stone with a few cracks in them._

 _"Well. If I do say, this place is surely pleasing." Yellow said with a amusing smile as she stopped._

 _"Seriously? There are only rocks around. Plus the ground is a lot harder here then it was in the valley." Pink replied with a slight frown._

 _"Clearly you don't see the bigger picture. What I see is a worthy area comprised with various ways of becoming something useful."_

 _"I will say, Yellow, this place really is wide enough for a lot of things to happen. What do you believe could be useful here?" White asked._

 _Yellow looked at the others and opened her mouth to speak, but as she did she then closed it and placed a finger underneath her chin. She then turned around and walked straight up toward a nearby boulder. She placed a hand on it and moved it side to side for a short moment before stopping. She narrowed her eyes at the massive rock and looked up at it, seeing it's very tip touch the very light in the sky._

 _"I do not know as of now. However, I think I can make something happen here. This place is certainly calling to me. I can feel it." She replied._

 _The others looked at each other from the response and went toward the other rocks near Yellow's. They each touched one and felt confused about it. What does she have in mind for these boulders?_

 _"Whatever you might do, Yellow, I'm sure it'll be magnificent." Blue said, turning her head to her._

 _"It'll be more then that, Blue. Trust me."_

 _"Okay then, but do you suppose we can leave now to see what else is out there?"_

 _Yellow looked at her and to the others. Green was just feeling the texture of the boulder, White simply picked it up with one hand, and Pink just planted her head on it while groaning._

 _Yellow sighed, "Very well. Let's just be quick so I can continue to plan out my ways for these boulders."_

* * *

 _"Oh, how amazing." Blue said upon seeing where they ended up now._

 _The five of them came across a large group of water. Unlike the one from where they were spawned, here was big areas of them surrounded by large trees giving off small amounts of faint light from the sky._

 _Blue_ _walked up to the middle one and dipped her foot into it before stepping inside and humming from how it felt. Once her whole body was in she dipped her head down and came back up while giving out a sigh._

 _"Come everyone. Join me. It feels blissful."_

 _"Here I come." Pink said as she rushed forward through the silk grass beneath her. She then jumped over Blue and splashed into the water, causing it to get to Blue. "Wow. You were right, Blue. This does feel great."_

 _Green went in next and his eyes widened from the feeling before a smile was brought upon his face. He then swam over to Blue and Pink as they were smiling at him._

 _Lastly was Yellow and White. Yellow went in and happily sighed from the warm feeling, but soon turned her expression back to neutral as she gathered toward the others. As for White, she placed her right foot in first before her left and then kneeled down due to her massive size. It was rather strange that the water was deep enough for the other four, but White had enough leg room, so a complaint wasn't an issue._

 _"You were right, Blue. This does feel nice." Green said._

 _"Thank You, Green." She replied with a grin and turned her attention to the rest. "How about all of you?"_

 _"It's nice, Blue." White said._

 _"It is in fact quite calming." Yellow said._

 _"This can be all for you. How do you fell about it?" Pink concluded._

 _Blue had her eyes widened from what Pink said. She then turned her eyes down toward her reflection before responding, "Although I am happy, I feel even more joy when we're all here together."_

 _"How so?" White asked curiously._

 _"Though all of us have only known each other for a short time, it just seems nice and soothing when we're all here. I wouldn't know what to do if I was the only one on this planet."_

 _"You shouldn't think like that, Blue." Green said, gaining her attention. "We were all brought together and though I may not know this myself, but as long as we're together we can figure out what to do with ourselves. Neither one of us should feel that we're alone, because we are not."_

 _Blue lightly gasped from what he said. Pink grew a big smile from this while Yellow smirked and White grew a light smile. She then smiled while water started rising from her eyes and fell down her cheeks._

 _Pink gasped, "Blue. Are you okay?"_

 _Blue closed her eyes and smiled while rubbing the tears from her eyes. "Yes. I am okay." She then reopened them and looked at Green. "Thank you, Green."_

 _"Uh...you are welcome. I apologize for upsetting you." He replied._

 _She shook her head, "You haven't upset me. You just made me happy." She then had more tears falling before her lips trembled and she covered her face while lightly sobbing._

 _"Nicely done, Green. You made her cry even more." Yellow said._

 _"I was just being honest."_

 _"It's alright." White said. "Yellow. He didn't mean to upset her. As she said, he only made her happy and-" She couldn't finish her sentence as she soon choked with tears falling from her eyes._

 _The others saw this and soon mimicked her actions shortly after. The five of them began to cry. The reason or the cause was unclear, but for at the moment each one has been given a chance to experience joyful sadness._

* * *

 _The next location they've encountered was actually pretty interesting. There were trees, but they were gigantic to the size of White herself, which even surprised her. Rays of light passed through the various leaves and the grass felt softer and smooth._

 _"Truly incredible." Green said in awe as he observed his surroundings._

 _"Tch. Please tell me you're joking? This is what you call incredible?" Yellow asked._

 _"Of course. Can you not see it? If I stand corrected, I do hope this is one of the first places this planet created." He replied as he soon placed a hand of a tree._

 _"I don't understand, Green. All they are is trees." Pink said as she stood next to him._

 _"Even so, I find them unique. I don't know why or how any of us know their trees, but just looking at them makes me feel glad to see them. Though I'd love to examine them even further to see how they came to be."_

 _"Are you sure you would want to do that? It doesn't seem so interesting?" White asked._

 _He turned to her direction and nodded. "There is so much more I like to do here, however I shall save for it until we finish our little journey."_

 _"If you want to stay here for a while you can." Blue said to him._

 _He shook his head. "I'm sure there are more places out there that haven't been discovered. I'd like to see them before ever coming back here."_

 _"Wonderful. Now we can leave this boring part of the planet." Yellow said as she walked off._

 _Nobody replied as they followed her. Green still had a smile on his face from what he was seeing and the very fabric of his being wanted to stay. So many activities had been made into his head that needed to take action from what he imagined to do in a place like this._

* * *

 _"Oh my. This is certain a place I like." White said as everyone continued walking._

 _From a forest they soon found themselves in a place that was cold. A white substance was laid in the ground and small white droplets were falling from the sky. The light from the sky had vanished and instead came dark black puffs that continuously made the white droplets appear. It was very strange and needed an explination, however no-one was really sure on what to say._

 _"I cannot believe what I'm seeing. What is happening? How is this possible?" Pink asked as she stared at the droplets._

 _"I'm not even sure either. Perhaps...the planet is showing us it's other gifts?" Blue replied._

 _"However this is occurring. it is very difficult to be walking through this...this...white substance." Yellow said with a grumpy tone._

 _"I see no problem. I can move just fine." White said, moving up front._

 _"You seem to like this part of the planet, White." Green said._

 _"I most certainly do. It matches my color just as the other locations matched yours. Though I must say, I do wish to add a little something to make it seem more...mystical."_

 _"Mystical? How so?"_

 _She then stopped in her tracks, causing the others to do the same._

 _"Huh. I do not know. That is indeed a very interesting question, Green. And for it, I suggest that I stay here and think things over for a while."_

 _"Do you want any of us to stay with you?" Pink asked as she walked up to her._

 _"Oh, no. I'll be fine. Though we've been traveling together, I believe being alone should help each of us clear our minds."_

 _"But...I always thought we should stay together." Blue said, walking up to White._

 _"We will. I just want some time for myself. And I'm sure each of you is just aching to return to the other locations we came across."_

 _"Sounds fair. Very well then." Yellow said as she then turned around and began walking away._

 _Shortly after this Blue had done the same, but a small frown was formed on her face as she walked back to her resting waters. Green had begun doing it too, but not before something grappled onto his right leg. He looked down and saw Pink looking up at him. She was frowning and her eyes began to start shaking, but Green simply smiled at her and picked her up before placing her on his right shoulder._

 _"Shall we meet again from where we were brought?" He asked, turning to White._

 _"Yes. I'm sure we'll meet again there. Farewell." She replied before walking deeper into the area._

* * *

 **Green Diamond**

" _Green. What happened to the light in sky? What are those small tiny lights?" She asked me after I placed her down._

 _"I do not know, Pink. They do look quite marvelous." I replied. "Now I've got to get going, okay? If you need me for anything, come find me or the others. You will know where I will be." I added as I turned around and walked away._

 _"Wait. Before you leave, do you think it was okay for us to split up?"_

 _"I do not see an issue with it. White made a sensible suggestion that suited all of us and I believed it's for the best."_

 _She then turned her gaze from me toward the ground of flowers. This was clearly strange coming from her, so I had to do something about it. I then walked up to her and got down onto one knee and placed my right arm on it._

 _"Listen, Pink. Me. You. White. Yellow. And Blue were brought here today and I don't know how or why, but I do believe that whatever happens let us never forget this day. Remember that. Even if we come to any differences, never forget this very day."_

 _She nodded and showed a small smile. I returned it and got up before leaving for the trees._

 _Green. That is my name and both me and the others have these clear stones on our bodies while being on this strange planet. I want to know more. I want to know about myself. I want to know...what is to come for us._

 **End of Chapter 14.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed.**

 **I've always wondered where the Diamonds came from and how they came to be.**

 **Part two shall come in time.**

 **Any questions or just wanting to know something here. Just leave a review or message me and I'll try my best to answer.**

 **See you all soon.**


	15. Origins Part 2

_Chapter 15: Origins Part 2_

 _Days have passed since we've been brought onto this planet. Ever since the five of us have discovered areas to our liking we've separated and have claimed them as our own. Though Blue and Pink are against separating, we've agreed to arrive at our birthplace where we were spawned for gatherings and to talk over our recent actions or various stories of when we've uncovered a hidden ability deep within ourselves._

 _During my time in solitude within the forest I stood a few feet away from a tree. I raised my right arm and looked down at it before I kneel down and placed it directly onto the ground. Closing my eyes and giving the ground a light grip I started to focus. While positioned I felt a small breeze passing through me, caressing my hair. It felt soothing, but not enough to make me get distracted as I soon heard a familiar sound. Regaining my sight and looking at what I was doing I removed my hand from the ground at the right time before ascending to my feet._

 _Walking towards what I've brought to life I saw myself within it. My head turned from left to right as I then targeted my vision at my previous creations nearby. This one was indeed the fifth, and surprisingly creating them has allowed me to easily determine where each of my companions are. It's a very useful ability, but deep down, I know that there has to be more to it then creating simple pillars or structures. I keep thinking and creating many many ideas of what else I could do, but sometimes the best way to understand a great power is by action and instinct. A trait Pink is now an expert at._

 _"Green!"_

 _My eyes widened lightly from hearing that voice before I felt my lips stretching. I then turned around and saw a familiar face coming up to me with a big smile on her face._

 _"Hello, Pink. What brings you to the forest?" I asked._

 _"I'm here because we've got another gathering today. And Blue has a surprise for each of us." She replied with a light giggle._

 _"Oh? What is it?"_

 _"I can't tell you. Follow me. Oh, I'm so excited."_

 _She then turned around and started laughing while running off. I couldn't help but chuckle from this. Since I've already completed a pillar I began to follow as this 'surprise' she mentioned had made me curious._

* * *

 _Reaching our birthplace, I noticed the others waiting patiently in their crystal seats. During our gatherings it was rather uncomfortable to be standing for hours and though sitting on the very grass was acceptable, I suggested creating seats made from solid crystal circling near the middle hole where White was spawned._

 _As we arrived I noticed Blue holding various objects in her arms while taking my seat next to Pink. "Hello, everyone. It is good to see you all again."_

 _"As are we, Green." White replied before turning her head to Blue. "Blue. What is this 'surprise' that Pink has mentioned?"_

 _"These." She replied while standing up and showing the objects. "Me and Pink were playing a little game and noticed one of these at the bottom of the pond. I then wondered if there were more, so we checked and there were four more calmly sitting at the very bottom. Though I do not know exactly what they are, we both suggested that we all should all have one." She added as she then walked around and each one of us took one from her arms, leaving only one left for her._

 _I then held the object closely toward my face. It was in a very strange shape and had unknown bumps on the top and back while the middle of it looked like something was inside. I turned to the others who opened them before I did the same, and within it lied a small yet interesting green stone with a small ring around it._

 _"Wow. This looks so beautiful, Blue." Pink said in awe._

 _"I will admit, this does look rather nice." Yellow said._

 _"I for one think it looks beautiful as well. Thank you, Blue." White said._

 _Blue looked at me and before I could respond something unexpected occurred. Each one of our gifts soon began to glow and float from our hands into the air. Each of their colors matched ours and as the five stones continued glowing something started to come out of them. The stones were placed in certain areas similar to our very own stones while strange lights formed around them until they took their appearances. The lights faded and from them came five smaller beings. One had a very multicolored appearance. One was all yellow. One was all blue with her hair covering her eyes. One was all pink with two spirals on each side of her head. And the last one was all green with long hair, ending at her shoulders, strangely similar to me._

 _They soon slowly descended toward the grass and opened their eyes before they each kneel down to one knee. "Hello, my Diamond."_

 **No POV**

 _Green, Yellow, Blue, Pink, and White had their eyes widened from hearing them say this. Just as anyone was about to speak the smaller beings soon ascended to their feet and leaped into the air before landed in the laps of those matching their color._

 _"Uhh... Hello, little one." Green said to the small being._

 _"Hello, my Diamond. It is very nice to meet you." She replied with a short bow._

 _"What is this 'Diamond' you speak of?"_

 _The green girl's eyes widened from his words before she narrowed her eyebrows and placed her hands on her hips. "Are you joking? That is where your Gem Stone is."_

 _Green raised an eyebrow until he raised his right arm and pointed his vision at it. "You mean this?"_

 _The green girl nodded._

 _"I see. So these stones on our bodies are known as Diamonds?" White asked the small multicolored girl._

 _"Yes, my Diamond." She replied._

 _"Then what do we call each of you?" Blue asked the small blue girl._

 _"We are known as Pearls." She replied._

 _"How long were the five of you inside those objects?" Yellow asked the Yellow Pearl._

 _"I am not sure, my Diamond. To be thoroughly honest, the only recent memory we can conjure is awakening and seeing all of you."_

 _"Really? You don't have any other memories?" Pink asked Pink Pearl._

 _She shook her head. "The only other thing we know is that a Diamond is a high rank Gem. Other than that, nothing. But we can make new memories with you if that's okay."_

 _Pink gasped and grew a smile, "That is so amazing." She then turned her attention to the others. "Doesn't that so incredible? We've made some new friends and we get to make new memories with them."_

 _"Indeed, Pink." White replied as she looked down at White Pearl._

 _"What should we do now, my Diamond?"_

 _She began to think about that question and turned her vision over to the massive holes near them. A new thought erupted into her, causing her to grow a small grin._

* * *

" _Are you sure this is a good idea, White?" Blue asked with uncertainty in her voice._

 _"Why not? All this time it never occurred to me about this, and now that we've received some new friends they shall enjoy it as well." She replied._

 _The five Diamonds and Pearls looked into the massive hole in front of them. I was just as big as the others and it never occurred to anyone that they should at the very least explore what's within it. Though they were discovering other parts of the planet, the fact of them never wondering about the holes daunted on them. During their gatherings they were more focused on progress, but now, it was time for a very different activity to commence._

 _"What do you think is down there?" Pink asked her friends._

 _"It is unknown at the moment, Pink, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to find out." Green replied._

 _"If we are to do this then should we each enter from our very own holes?" Yellow suggested._

 _The others raised eyebrows at her before turning to the other holes. Each of them soon walked away from each other while holding the Pearls in their hands. Once they've reached their individual holes they looked at one another before turning to the hole._

 _"Is everyone ready to jump inside?" Green said._

 _"I'm ready." Pink replied with a smile. "I'll make sure you won't get separated from me." She added, looking down at Pink Pearl.  
_

 _"Okay then. Now!" White announced as she took a small leap while holding onto White Pearl, entering her hole. Green, Yellow, Blue, and Pink followed while holding the Pearls._

* * *

 _As they all eventually reached the bottom it was pitch-black and the only source of light was directly above them._

 _"May we offer some light, my Diamond?" White Pearl asked._

 _"Yes. That would be wonderful." White replied._

 _The Pearls then had their Gem stones glow before they radiated small portions of light from them, illuminating the path ahead._

 _"I suggest we all stay together and take great caution. There is no telling what could be down here." Green announced._

 _"Don't worry, Green. No matter what happens we can take it." Pink said with a proud grin._

 _"Even so, taking caution is a wise thing to do." Blue said._

 _"Hmph. There's nothing here that can possibly hurt us. Let's just get going before we waste anymore time." Yellow said as she began walking forward._

 _The others simply followed and surprisingly, the area they were in was massive enough to have all of them in, which proofed that they were indeed deep underground._

 _With their friends aiding them the Diamonds remained close while they walked. So far there wasn't anything around, but everyone remained silent just in case something happened within seconds._

 _"So... Why is it that you call me 'My Diamond'?" Pink asked quietly to Pink Pearl._

 _"Because you are a higher rank than me. It is also to show respect."_

 _Pink had her eyes widened from the response and turned to the others while continuing to walk._

 _"Respect? Why should we be any different than you five?" White asked around._

 _White Pearl was the first to answer, "Because of the rank, my Diamond."_

 _"What is this 'rank' that keeps being mentioned?"_

 _White Pearl was about to respond, but as she did she suddenly stopped herself. She then placed a finger underneath her chin and began to think. After a few moments she responded, "I...do not know. That is something we naturally know of. I do not even know how or why we have this memory."_

 _"Is this true?" Green asked Green Pearl._

 _She nodded. "What else can we say? Besides, not knowing anything else can be a good thing. It gives you a chance to make a new change. Have new memories and find your place in the world."_

 _Green had his eyes widened from hearing this. "Amazing. You have such wisdom, little one."_

 _"Thanks. But please don't call me 'little one' just because you and your friends are bigger than us."_

 _"Oh... I apologize."_

 _Up ahead it looked as though there was a light shining in the distance. Taking the chance the group quickly continued forward and as soon as they got close the light faded and from it came something that couldn't even be described._

 _They discovered a humongous cave, however this very cave housed a massive number of Gem Stones. From the ceiling and from left to right, there was so many of them in different colors and shapes. The Diamonds and the Pearls were in awe from what they were seeing._

 _"Oh. My. Rocks." The Diamonds said in unison._

 _"H...How is...h-how..." Blue tried to say but couldn't.  
_

 _"Look at all of this." White said._

 _"It's so beautiful..." Pink said._

 _Green and Green Pearl then walked forward and near them was a bright red Gem Stone. He slowly reached out for it and pulled it from the wall. Once the stone was taken out it then began to glow and form right in his palm. The form had a cube shaped head and was small than Pearl with it's Gem covering it's right eye._

 _The Gem then looked up at him and bowed, "Thank you for setting me free, my Diamond." She said in a rough voice._

 _Yellow then approached him and observed the smaller Gem. "How interesting. So small...yet I can sense some potential in you."_

 _"Thank you, Yellow Diamond. I am Ruby and I will be the best I can be."_

 _Yellow Pearl snickered a bit from what she said._

 _"Everyone. Let us free the rest of them. They all shouldn't be trapped down here." Green suggested._

 _"If we do this Green, then what will happen next?" White asked._

 _"We get them above ground and allow them to be free. If they don't know the concept then we teach them what we know and if they have any unique abilities then we help them control them."_

 _Just as anyone was about to respond a large rumble echoed through the cave, causing a small vibration wave to pass all around. Once it stopped everyone turned their heads toward the ceiling._

 _"What was that?" Yellow said._

 _"Is something else here?" Blue asked around._

 _"I do not know." White replied. "Pearl. You and the others stay here while me and my friends see what is up there."_

 _"I do not think that's a good decision, my Diamond. Why not me and the others handle this?"_

 _"I'm afraid that cannot happen. We do not know what is up there and you all are still new on this planet. Please stay here and when we return we shall free the rest of these Gem Stones. Understand?"_

 _White Pearl was hesitant to respond, but she then narrowed her eyes and nodded to the request._

 _After the Pearls hopped away from the Diamonds, the Diamonds themselves walked away from the cave to return to the surface._

 _"Are you positive this is the best option?" Green asked White._

 _"I'm positive. Each of us have mastered unique abilities of our own and whatever is up there we cannot allow down here. If what is up there friendly it is a possible maybe, but I will not take any chances."_

 _"Who was the one that made you leader?" Yellow asked with a cocked eyebrow._

 _"Unless any of you have a better solution to this?"_

 _Nobody replied._

* * *

 _As soon as the Diamonds reached the place where they first entered Green kneel down and placed his hand on the ground, to which created five solid crystal platforms and enabled them to ascend upwards._

 _Once they reached the surface it was there that the Diamonds were met with something entirely different. In front of them was five large colossal black creatures. They had long tails with spikes coming out of them and they showed sharp claws, teeth, and it seemed as though parts of their bodies looked solid while the rest was unclear. The creatures had light blue eyes and directly behind them was a massive ship._

 _"Greetings." The middle one said in a creepy tone._

 _"Who are you?" White asked._

 _"We are Oscuro Encarcelar. We have come for the energy of your planet."_

 _"Why do you want it?"_

 _"Because we desire it. We wish to use this very place to increase our numbers, our resources, and our power. You will hand over this planet to us."_

 _Each of the Diamonds narrowed their eyes at these Oscuro Encarcelar. Green then stepped forward next to White and looked into the creature's four eyes. "We are not giving you this planet. Leave."_

 _"Very well. You have chosen the second option."_

 _The middle Oscuro Encarcelar then raised it's head and screamed into the air. The others shortly followed, causing the Diamonds to squint from the ear piercing sounds as they covered their heads. Once it was over Green was then punched in the jaw and was pushed forward, having his legs getting dragged through the ground before he crashed into the sand near ocean behind him._

 _"GREEN!" Pink and Blue cried in shock while White and Yellow were also in shock._

 _"We warned you. You did not listen." Another Oscuro Encarcelar said before he grabbed Pink and threw her toward Green's direction._

 _Blue was grabbed by her arms and was thrown farther away, landing directly into the very ocean waters._

 _Yellow punched the creature hard in the jaw before roundhouse kicking it, making it crash into the ground. She then turned around and unleashed a blast of lightning from her hands at the next one. However, just as she was about to attack it she was then grabbed from behind by another creature and it took this opportunity to grab her head, beginning to crush it and causing her to howl in the air._

 _White and what seemed to be the leader (due to his size matching hers) had their hands intertwined while struggling to see who would go down first._

 _"You cannot do this. This place belongs to me and my companions." She said through a struggled voice._

 _"Not anymore. This place will be ours." The leader replied before he suddenly started grunting._

 _From his sides arms started to pop out, shocking White and causing her to lose focus. The other arms grabbed her torso and threw her to the ground. The leader then picked her up with all four, showing how much strength was higher than hers before launching her toward the ocean._

 _"Give me the Yellow one." The leader said to his kin on the left._

 _It listened and let go of Yellow. She then fell onto her knees. She looked up at the leader and before she could even say a word it grabbed her face and threw her toward the others without a second thought._

 _She landed near Green and Pink while White and Blue were coming out of the water. As Green stood up he glared at the Oscuro Encarcelar before his eyes widened as the others soon grew another set of arms from their lower sides as well as additional spikes piercing from their backs._

 _"How disappointing. The very few races we've encountered could barely fight back. At the very least, you all could've been a challenge, but it seems I was wrong. Now, it is time to end this." The leader said as his brethren stood side by side with him._

 _They each greatly opened up their mouths and small particles of purple energy began erupting from them. Once White and Blue were with the others Pink began tearing up. Standing right in front of them were bad monsters that wanted to take their home. Their beautiful home. This was something she nor the others couldn't afford, and they just discovered more of their kind underground with their new friends waiting for them._

 _Looking at the others and back at the Oscuro Encarcelar, she gripped her fists and as the monsters fired off multiple blasts of energy she directly stood in front of everyone while having her arms crossed. Within a fraction of a second her Gem Stone began glowing before two large constructs emerged from her arms and blocked the blasts. She stood her ground and started to struggle slightly, but it didn't mean she was gonna go down easily._

 _"Pink! Try to stay strong! I have an idea!" Green shouted from behind._

 _"Hurry up then! I don't know how much I can take this!" She replied._

 _Wasting not even a second, Green pushed his hands rapidly toward the ground which in turned caused a wall of crystal to erupt in front of Pink's shields. When this happened the energy from the blasts were then hitting the wall, and in doing so caused a chain reaction, allowing the energy to reflect in multiple directions and a few aiming directly at the enemy's ship._

 _The Oscuro Encarcelar stopped their attack to prevent anymore damage toward their ship, but as soon as they stopped the crystal wall in front of them was soon shattered and from behind were the Diamonds, glowing auras of their respected colors._

 _"We have told you to leave our home and it is you five that have not listened." White said angerly._

 _"You shall not have this planet and you will regret the moment you met us." Yellow said angerly._

 _"The energy of this world belongs to us. It shall never belong to tyrants such as yourselves." Blue said angerly._

 _"More than that, you will not be hurting anyone else again. The five of us will make sure of that." Pink said angerly._

 _The leader gripped his fists and took a step forward, not showing any fear unlike the others. "That will not your decision. You cannot tell us what we can and cannot do."_

 _"At this very moment, it appears that we can." Green replied firmly. "Allow us to show you exactly who you are harming."_

 _White Diamond, Yellow Diamond, Blue Diamond, Green Diamond, and Pink Diamond stood side by side. Their eyebrows were narrowed and they were expressing harsh glares at the Oscuro Encarcelar. One after another they slowly raised their right arms out with their palms fully extended out. Each of their hands soon began to glow brighter than their auras and the leader was still showing absolutely no fear. The rest was and began to slowly back away, but it was already too late. Their judgement was already sealed._

 _The Diamonds unleashed massive amounts of energy from their palms and fired them straightforward. Their energies were then mixed together upon being close and it only made the blast even larger. The attack then impacted the Oscuro Encarcelar and made the leader and his kin feel the force of a power beyond anything they've ever felt before. Each of the creatures screamed in agony before their leader joined along with having parts of their very own bodies getting disintegrated._

 _Once the attack was completed the energy started to slowly fade while the Diamonds' auras soon followed. Looking at their enemy now, most of them just groaned and screamed from the intense pain each of them witnessed. As for the leader, both of his arms and his left legs were destroyed along with half of it's face and multiple burns all around his body._

 _"UGH! H...how...what have you..." It tried to speak, but barely._

 _"It's a ability we've learned and practiced. On our own a blast like that could have done equal damage, but when we are together it becomes a deadly force." Yellow said as they walked forward. "We all made a promise to never unleash it as one unless it was for a dangerous situation, and it appears that your kind has just experienced it for the very first time."_

 _"V...Very well... W...We shall surrender."_

 _"I'm afraid that will not be the end of this." White said as she picked up the leader by the throat and held it up in the air with his body hardly able to stand anymore. "You tried to take something from us. I believe it will be only fitting for us if we take something from you. Perhaps that thing over their shall be enough." She added, turning her head toward their ship._

 _"G...Go ahead. But...rest assure...my kind and many more will come... There is...no possibility that... *cough* the five of you shall...prevail."_

 _"Rest assure that no-one here is going to perish as long as we are here." Blue said firmly. "They will deeply regret it."_

 _"She is right." Pink said as she walked forward, looking up at her defeated enemy. "No matter what happens, we won't let anything harm our home."_

 _"So...be...it. Just...wait until your downfall...approaches. All races... have...to..."_

 _The leader then closed it's remaining eyes before finally succumbing to death._

 _White released him from her grip and turned to look at the others. "Everyone. We have won, but that does not mean this shall be our only fight. I suggest we collect the Pearls and the other Gem Stones from underground. Afterwards, let us check inside the fallen's large object if there is anything we can use in-case an issue like this occurs again."_

 _"May I suggest me and Blue collect the others while the three of you going inside the object? If something else happens it is best to be prepared at any given moment." Green asked._

 _"Of course." White approved. "And I would like to be the leader of this group. I state this not because of my large size or my power, but because of the various ideas I can create to better protect ourselves."_

 _"Very well. Just as long as we treat each other as equals." Yellow said as she started heading for the ship._

 _"Wait for me, Yellow." Pink called as she followed her._

 _White did the same while Green and Blue went toward the center crystal platform and started descending._

 **End of Chapter 15.**


	16. Origins Part 3

Chapter 16: Origins Part 3

 _What have we done?_

 _How could I allow myself and the others to dive into the abyss?_

 _The Oscuro Encarcelar were only the very beginning and yet more beings from the universe came to claim what is not theirs. We fought them and won, but then...I made the suggestion. I was the one who insisted we do it. I allowed my curiosity and the curiosities of the others to push us on this path we are now. The path that spawned the various mistakes and crimes we've committed._

* * *

 _Journal Entry: Chapter 2814_

 _For ages after our first victory over our first enemy, we began to change. The knowledge we've acquired and passed down to the Gem Stones have turned the gears to what we would become and what we would do to prevent our home from falling apart._

 _White Diamond has become our leader; our guide toward an era of peace and balance. She gave our group a name: The Great Diamond Authority. Claiming that if we had founded the Gem Stones it was our responsibility to help them. For a time, she was an incredible leader and treated us as equals, from what Yellow asked, but...as time continued to advance and when we were told about the "incident" from my Agate, she had changed._

 _Yellow took the role of a general. She wanted to see what each Gem Stone was capable of. Those who chose to follow her were strictly disciplined, trained to practice their abilities until they were able to control them. To the ones who'd impressed her were given the opportunity to be apart of her armies. To those who lacked anything were then tasked to learn and understand new technologies gained from the enemy. Since the "incident" she no longer tolerated anyone who decided to leave or surrender, but worse of all, she demanded complete loyalty and obedience from her followers._

 _Blue became an observer and a explorer. Though some of us believed the other worlds out there were evil and cruel, Blue thought otherwise, to which gave me a relief as I too believed there had to be good out there. As we gain more ships and formed them into creations of our likings, Blue and those who followed her ventured into the unknown. From her travels she would inform the rest of us as to what she had seen and about the actions to take. She had made sure to stay hidden and quiet as she did her duty, however the "incident" had also allowed her to create groups that could spread far and wide so it would not become a hassle to traverse from one planet to another._

 _For Pink, her tasks were simple and if I may say very unique. She and those who joined into her part of Home World were given the chance to create entertainment. The various shows and performances her followers have made were always enough to give us a good laugh or a smile. When victories were gained the celebrations were increased. She had a gift, to which has made me proud of her and would be given praise from the rest._

 _As for myself, I have granted my followers free will. They may do as they please, but for those who act out or became untamable, changes had to be made. Rules and laws were established. Judgement was their end and not just from my section but to all. Order had to be made and we made sure to be fair. Listen to what the guilty has done and if they are not responsible for their actions they are free. For those that are, imprisonment was their sentence and if the guilty did much worse, shattering was the final punishment. This very punishment alone was only suggested as a absolute conclusion and one that the five of us agreed on when it is needed._

 _Though we've become desperate in our time of need, there are lines that should not have been crossed. I can no longer do this anymore. I have had to put up with it for far too long, making my own kind suffer. The aches and scars cannot fade, but now...it is time._

 _White. Yellow. Blue. Pink. Though I have gained your affections and I cherish the time we have made together through the many eons, I am truly sorry for what is to come. Know that this is my last entry, it shall mark my last chance with you all. For now, I shall witness what is to come and make the preparations._

 _From this day forward, my title as a Diamond is no more._

 _End of final_ entry.

* * *

 **No POV**

 _Once he completed typing in the entry onto the Holopad he pressed it down and placed it into one of the right arms in his throne. When that was taken care of a ringing sound dispersed from the left arm. He pressed the button on it and a screen appeared in front of him. The one who called him was Pink and her expression that she was showing already made Green feel more guilt within himself._

 _"Why?" She asked with a small sob while tears swelled in her eyes._

 _"Pink, I-" He replied before getting interrupted._

 _"Why did you all lie to me? We're not saving and creating life. We're taking it away."_

 _"We couldn't tell you."_

 _"WHY!? You're always honest with me, Green. Why lie to me now?!"_

 _He closed his eyes for a moment and reopened them before opening his mouth, "Calm down, Pink."_

 _"CALM DOWN?! You are asking me to calm down after I just found out that you all had lied to me?!"_

 _As expected, she was taking this really hard. "Calm down and I will explain."_

 _Pink glared at him for a moment until she closed her eyes and used her arms to wipe away any remaining tears. When she finished she swallowed some air and softened her glare slightly, but not permanently._

 _"If you had found out sooner you would've instantly tried to plead and begged for this to not happen. After we all discovered the "incident" each of us, excluding you, had to do whatever it took to make sure that our survival would continue on. We've only told you parts of the situation and you then wanted to join. We have told you no countless times, but you continued asking, and after convincing the others that you were ready I allowed you to take part in it, only you had to work four times as hard as we did."_

 _"And you said that some of the planets you found were uninhabited. Most of what you found had nothing living there anymore and it was okay to take."_

 _"Most were. I apologize for keeping this from you, Pink. However, this shall never happen again."_

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _He didn't reply. He looked at her and narrowed his eyes._

 _"Green. What are you going to do?"_

 _No response. He then raised his right hand and ended the transmission. Though he wanted to tell her about what he planned, she wouldn't understand and believed in another way. He believed in various situations that could happen without it becoming dangerous or destructive, but unfortunately, this was not one of those times._

 _He turned his gaze down to see Green Pearl, whom had heard their conversation while standing beside him._

 _"Pearl." He said with sorrow in his voice._

 _"Yes, my Diamond?" She asked softly as she slowly looked at him._

 _"Have their been any new Gems sentenced to the Prison?"_

 _She took a moment to think about what he was implying and nodded. "Yes. Just a few hours ago another Gem has swayed from his duty and has been placed with seven others, my Diamond. To be honest, their crimes are rather interesting. But what are you getting at?"_

 _"I want you to bring them to me."_

 _Her eyes instantly shot opened. "What?"_

 _"I will explain when you bring them here. And afterwards, I need to have a talk with you."_

 _Though she didn't understand what he was going to do, she gave him a firm nod and immediately walked out of the area without a word._

* * *

 _Shard Prison._

 _A place no Gem would ever want to go to. Those who do only have one objective: Survival._

 _The prison itself is massive. It was constructed by Green Diamond himself. The structures and the walls are made of solid crystal. This very material is nearly indestructible and almost nothing can break it. Despite this, precautions were made to ensure that the prisoners wouldn't escape or cause even more trouble then they already have._

 _This very place was welcomed by Gems from each section. It didn't matter which Diamond you followed, justice and punishment had to be made for those who stepped out of line._

 _"Alright punk. Get in there with the rest." Said a guard as he and his partner pushed a prisoner into the cell before closing and locking the door._

 _As the new arrival was placed in he turned his head to the left and saw seven other Gems who had their attention on them. He didn't say a word, but instead walked forward toward a wall and turned around to place his back against it. He then crossed his arms and turned his attention to the floor._

 _His vision to the ground was soon interrupted when a small Gem approached him. "Hello." She said._

 _He turned to look at her. No response._

 _"I'm Lepidolite." She said as she raised her hand to him._

 _He turned his vision to it and then looked away._

 _"Don't be wastin' ya time with him. Onyxs don't talk much." Another female prisoner told her._

 _"Even so, Amber, it doesn't hurt to try and be nice."_

 _"Yeah. Because being nice to everyone will make everything great." A male prisoner said with disbelief._

 _"Don't be a smartass, Pyrope. All of us are here for our own reasons and it wouldn't hurt to be nice." Said another female prisoner._

 _"Whatever, Charoite. Let's no forget that the night you came here you spent every second crying until the sun came up." Pyrope replied._

 _"I felt great after that. Every second after I was born I had been wear a mask. Coming here let me take it off and express how I really felt about what I did. You're no different yourself, mister." She replied._

 _Pyrope glared at her before quickly looking away._

 _A loud sigh was then brought up by another prisoner as he was sitting on the the floor with his legs out while frowning and staring down._

 _"What's the matter now?" Pyrope asked._

 _"My Diamond hates me. I'm the worst Citrine ever." He replied in a sad tone._

 _"Do not say that, friend. You are just as unique as the rest of us." Another male prisoner said as he softly rubbed Citrine's left arm._

 _"But I'm dumb. She told me I was incoppertent."_

 _"I believe you mean "incompetent"?" Another female prisoner said._

 _He nodded. His frown didn't fade as he looked back to the floor._

 _"What about you two? How is it that a Lapis Lazuli and a Cobalt are here?" Onyx asked, slightly surprising the others from him speaking._

 _"I prefer the name Zuli." She corrected him. "Secondly, it's...complicated to say, but...would you like to see?"_

 _He nodded._

 _Zuli and Cobalt then walked toward the middle of the room with everyone inside watching them. Luckily there weren't any guards around, so it was okay for them to do this. Both of them intertwined their hands together and slowly collided their heads against each other. Soon their bodies were turned into blue lights and they merged, forming their fusion._

 _As it completed, Onyx lightly widened his eyes."I see. Very interesting to see different Gem types fuse together instead of having identical ones."_

 _"It was an accident. My halves didn't know this would occur, but when I came to be I felt a utterly different feeling inside and I fully believe that whatever is to come, we will be okay."_

 _He didn't respond._

 _Around the same time the door to the cell began to open, causing the fusion to immediately separate back into her halves before it was opened completely._

 _"Okay, everyone. You all are coming with me." Green Pearl said as she stepped in._

 _"Is it time for us to be executed?" Lepidolite asked as her voice held fear in it._

 _"Uh-uh. You eight are going to see my Diamond."_

 _Amber instantly sat up from her bed and walked up to her. "What does he want with all of us?"_

 _"I don't know. You all can either come with me or stay here until the real execution call is declared. Your choice."_

 _The Gems were then curious about this before they all gathered together to discuss this opportunity away from Green Pearl._

 _"Do ya'll think we should do this?" Amber asked._

 _"I don't know. Why would Green Diamond want to see us?" Charoite wondered._

 _"I think we should see him so I can take him down." Pyrope said as he pounded a fist into his other hand._

 _"If you do that you will only make this worse." Cobalt replied firmly._

 _"I agree. Why don't we all just listen to what he has to say and if it turns into something out of context then we will need to escape." Zuli added._

 _"But where would we go? There's no where we can go out in the void of space." Lepidolite said._

 _"I agree to speaking with Green Diamond." Onyx said._

 _"Wow. Nice choice, gloomy." Pyrope said as he then turned his head to Citrine. "What about you?"_

 _"Maybe we should talk to Green Diamond. He could get us out of prison forever."_

 _Pyrope slapped himself from the response and agreed with the most reasonable option, even though he didn't like it._

 _The others agreed too, not because of just the idea, but from what Citrine said. There may be a slight change he can let them off the hook...or not._

 _The Gems then turned around to look at Green Pearl who was waiting patiently for their answer._

 _"We will go with you." Zuli said._

 _"About time." She replied before pulling out something from her backside. "Now, it's not that I can't trust any of you, but I'm holding onto this just in case any of you have secret plans. Deal?"_

 _The eight Gems turned to look at her object. A Sealing Ring. Those in it's presence has their energy and any abnormal abilities repressed. About a thousand of them are assigned to a cell in the prison, preventing criminals from accessing their powers._

* * *

 _ **Green Diamond**_

 _My doors were then opened and my Pearl had came with the eight Gems I asked for. When they looked at me I noticed several mixed reactions. The Pyrope and Amber glared while the Charoite and Lepidolite frowned. The rest were showing blanks, but I understood._

 _As they all approached me I rose from my throne. "Greetings. I am glad you all are here."_

 _"Are you gonna execute us personal?" Pyrope asked with his arms crossed._

 _My eyes lightly widened from his question. I then began taking steps away from my throne and approached them as my gaze went downward. "Pearl. Destroy the Sealing Ring."_

 _She gasped, "What? A-Are you sure about this?"_

 _I looked at her and nodded. She then turned her attention to the Gems and back to me before raising up the Sealing Ring. I looked at her carefully as she gripped the object with both hands and lifted it up in the air before descending down quickly and breaking it with her right knee. As soon as this happened I turned to the Gems who began to glow auras of their respected colors. My lips began to stretch as this happened._

 _They each looked at each other as they glowed until the auras disappeared._

 _"Wait just a minute. Why are ya allowin' us to get our powers back?" Amber asked as she took a step forward._

 _"Because I would like all of you to help me."_

 _"Help you? You can't be serious." Pyrope said in disbelief._

 _I expected that. I then began to close my eyes. I've only used this ability a few times, but now is where I need it the most. I then raised my arms out and waited. After a few seconds had passed I reopened my eyes to see those around me stare with shocked expressions. Never have I shown this to a Gem outside the Diamonds, so may this be the first._

 _"You... You...shrank." Lepidolite said, utterly speechless._

 _I nodded. "I do not wish to cause harm to you all or make you suffer any longer. I swear it." I slowly walked up to them while lowering my arms. "I will understand if any of you would like to express your true feelings. Feel free to do so with me. I will take anything you all will do to me. I deserve it."_

 _This was no lie. I truly deserved this. It's something I have had thoughts about. Some blaming the Diamonds for making their very existences a nightmare and others who had been suffering in silence. No more. Never again._

 _Pyrope was the first to step up and continued glaring at me while his very hands were engulfed in flames. I showed no fear to him. I just simply closed my eyes and waited for my rightful punishment._

 _However...as the seconds passed the warmth of his flames vanished. I then reopened my eyes to look at him._

 _"Forget it. As much as I want to literally burn you to a crisp, I'll give you something less painful."_

 _I raised an eyebrow to what he said until in a flash his fist collided against my face, pushing me back with immense speed until I crashed at the bottom of my throne. My back hit against it causing me to gawk and land back onto my feet with a few weak sways from left to right._

 _"*sigh* Now I feel a little better."_

 _"My Diamond!" I heard my Pearl cry as she rushed over to me._

 _"No, no. It's alright." I replied as I made my way to the other while wobbling slightly. "Anyone else care to have a turn?"_

 _"Seein' that is enough for me." Amber said with a smirk._

 _"No thank you." Cobalt said with Zuli shaking her head._

 _The others shook their heads as well._

 _"Very well. What I offer to you is your choice alone. If you choose to accept it, there is no turning back. If any of you choose to decline, I will have to send you all away from this very planet."_

 _"Send us away where?" Lepidolite asked._

 _"The planets that do not posses a threat to ours will be a better place for each of you. It is rather "extreme" as any of you would put it, but if any of you leave with your powers in active it will be difficult to escape from the Enforcers as well as the other Diamonds."_

 _"So we can be free forever or not?" Citrine asked._

 _I nodded._

 _"What is this "offer" you are giving us?" Charoite questioned._

 _"I do not want Pink Diamond's colony to be completed. The planet Earth will be the one that will not be completely colonized. What I ask is for you all to work together and prevent the colonization from ever being finished. I will join you shortly, but I have a few other matters to handle."_

 _"So you're suggesting we fight the Earth Gems and destroy everything in the colony?" Amber asked._

 _"Yes. However be sure to protect the life and the creatures there as well."_

 _"If we do this, what will happen after?" Lepidolite asked around._

 _"Earth will be our new home." I answered. "I take full responsibility for the colonies I've created and the lives I've taken. I can never undo what me or the Diamonds have made each of you do or ignore your emotions, but at the very least I would like to make a new beginning and...I think as though you all deserve the same."_

 _The eight Gems looked at each other about this. All of them are given the chance to make a difference and dive into something entirely new. This is a huge decision with very little choice in the matter. Each of them can decide for themselves, but to answer it is another story._

 _"As you all decide over this I need to have a moment with my Pearl." I said as I took her hand and we walked over to the other side of the room._

 _"What's wrong?" She asked as we stopped near a window._

 _"Pearl. I'm afraid I cannot allow you to take part in this."_

 _Her eyes lightly widened. "What? Why? I'm prepared to fight with you to the very end."_

 _I shook my head and gently placed my hands on her shoulders. "Please. Please, understand. I care for you so much and I can't even think about what could happen to you if you are with me. You are strong, brave, and have the greatest amount of free will I have ever seen. I do not wish to lose you, and for that...I...have to send you away."_

 _I felt water rise in my eyes as I finished. She looked at me with tears swelling in her eyes. This was not fair for her and it maybe selfish of me, but I truly didn't want her to do this, and she could see that. She then lunged toward me, wrapping her arms around me ever so tightly while her head was placed against my chest as I heard her sob softly. This was the very first time she was able to fully hug me and I could finally hug her back as my arms wrapped around her body._

 _We stayed liked this for a moment until we finally separated. When we did I lowered my head and pecked my lips onto her forehead, making her gasp when I pulled away._

 _"My Pearl. I love you, my friend."_

 _"I...I love you too, my Diamond. Don't you dare forget about me when this is over."_

 _"Never. We will meet again. One day. I promise."_

 _She then gave me a smile. I knew she was forcing herself to do it for me, but just the sight of it made this even harder._

* * *

 _What I am about to do is completely and utterly insane. Never in my life or my very existence have I ever resulted in doing this, until today. Unbeknownst to the other Diamonds I have created a secret bunker underneath my throne. I have made it for this very occasion just in case I was sure about this plan. Thank the universe I used both my head and my emotions._

 _The eight Gems had agreed to my plan and in exchange for this I have given them their weapons and tools. Doing this all on my own is suicidal and thought I can handle almost anything that stands against me, I am not truly invincible. Putting their lives on the line for this is selfish as well. I should not have done this, but there was something about them that intrigued me. I've read each of their files and had faced them in court. Their abilities are by far the most powerful I've seen and thankfully I was able to convince the others to send them to Shard Prison._

 _Sending my Pearl away was much harder than I ever imagined. I truly never wanted to do this. She has been by my side for as long as I can remember and I have treated her as a friend. I loved her as much as the rest of the Diamonds, but our loved felt much deeper. It was not a romantic attribute but something else. Something that I've seen other beings shared. Before she officially left she placed her hand against the glass as her eyes shaked. I placed mine onto the glass where hers was and looked into her eyes. We didn't say anything - words couldn't be spoken before her pod was launched._

 _I have done the same with the others and made sure their coordinates were accurate to their destination. Lepidolite was a tad frightened and Citrine was afraid of being too massive when they gazed at their pods. Fortunately for them, their fears were silenced due to specific sizes I have made. I was not easy, but it was worth every ounce of time. And comforting them helped, despite Citrine nearly crushing me in the process. He is very gullible, but gentle. Lepidolite was sensitive and I had to take a few cautions while she entered her pod._

 _The rest had no complaints and both Lapis Lazuli or "Zuli" and Cobalt were fitted together in their pod. Separating them seemed harsh, so I made sure it was large enough for the both of them._

 _Each of them were now off, leaving himself behind, but not for long as there is one last objective that must been met._

* * *

 _The Central Section... The very place where we were brought into existence... It has also changed. Good thing I able to seek inside without much trouble since I've changed my size._

 _The various creatures of the universe who have caused a threat to Home World and to us were placed here. Chained to crystal pillars I've developed - roars, screams, howls, and glares of rage and vengeance were all that was left of them. Although some were instead used to function our cities and machines, the rest have become imprisoned and too dangerous to be placed in Shard Prison._

 _"Let us get started." I said to myself as I raised both of my hands up._

 _When I did this the chains that binded them were severed - their arms, legs, and throats were released. My deed was done. The price? Almost a hundred thousand dangerous, destructive beasts and conquerors free to do as they pleased._

* * *

 _I kept himself hidden amongst the carnage as they all escaped. I had found my own way out before removing my cloak._

 _"Now. This is were it ends..."_

 **No POV**

 _Screams of panic and terror engulfed all Gem Stones when the monsters attacked. Most destroyed buildings. Others attacked the Gem Stones themselves. And the remaining just began making chaos all around without a care or second thought. No-one was safe from this. Even those that tried to fight back were helpless._

 _A small glimmer of hope was given when the Enforcers came in. They were the most skilled and powerful Gems ever made. Handpicked by the Diamonds themselves, these Gems were only allowed to take care of Rank S situations and were even given special weapons to handle any and all threats. Unfortunately for them, they were going to have a very long day with this crisis at hand, but it was only the tip of the iceberg._

 **Green Diamond**

 _The screams. The cries. Each were painful to hear..._

 _With this much chaos and destruction my followers are going to wonder where I am. I gripped my hands into fists as I walked and slowly regrew myself._

 _"Green Diamond!" Said a Gem as she rushed up to me. "Please! Help me!"_

 _I did not look at her nor stop. More pleading was heard through my ears and I continued walking. I then narrowed my eyes to what was up ahead of me. When I got close to it I stopped. This shouldn't be here anymore..._

 _Raising my hand I gave birth to a blade and quickly slashed my target. The top half slowly descended to the right and fell to the ground, earning gasps and more screams from around me. I gripped my free hand as hard as I could. Not because of what I have just done, but instead to be prepared for the worst._

 _"GREEN!" A loud voice yelled._

 _Just as I predicted. I slowly turned around and placed my attention to the ones who I was born with._

 _"What are you doing?! Are you the one responsible for this?!" White asked furiously._

 _"I am."_

 _"Have you gone mad?! Why have you brought this upon us?!"_

 _"Because it is what we deserve! We have become no better than the Oscuro!"_

 _"What are you talking about? WE are nothing like them. WE are trying to have a peaceful home to protect. Have you forgotten what your Agate told us?"_

 _"I have not forgotten. For a time, I agreed upon what we all had to do. However... We had changed and though we've spared most of our enemies that refused to fight or surrendered, We have taken their homes away. I do not want any part of this anymore! I will no longer be known as a Diamond and I am disappointed for what you three have done to your followers, including Pink."_

 _"We have done nothing to her, Green." Blue said with a upset tone in her voice._

 _"Yes you have. I have treated my followers and others equally. I ensure that they are safe and enjoy what they do. Pink has been suffering in silence for ages. I know because she would always come to me and I talk to her if she is ever upset about anything. If she is ever to be punished she should not be locked in a room until the next day. The same follows all of your followers as well, including myself."_

 _"This is absurd! Stop this right this instant and fix the damage you have caused." White said as she pointed at me._

 _"No."_

 _Her eyes widened, earning a gasp from Blue while Yellow firmly glared at me._

 _"What did you just say to me?"_

 _"I refuse. I am sorry. But if you three cannot accept this repressed side of me..." I then entered a pose. "...then step aside or I will have to make you."_

 _All of them, including Blue glared at me before White screamed and fired a beam of energy from her Gem. I reacted and brought out another blade from my other arm and quickly raised it up with my other one. The beam hit me, and when it did the blast was then refracted into various directions, hitting those around us, including a few monsters that caused them to be disintegrated. I started struggling a little while holding my position. Her power was far greater than mine, but mine alone was stronger than hers and I cannot waste anymore time here. I have companions to get to._

 _I then began to move forward. Each step was harder than the last. She does not tell me what to do any longer. I will not run from this. I cannot. As I got even closer I began moving quicker than I expected and charged forward, pushed her back and knocking her toward the ground as her beam vanished._

 _It was not over yet. I turned to my left and saw Yellow use both of her hands to fire a massively large blast of electricity. Unlike what happened with White I immediately impaled the ground with my blades and created a large crystal shard to refract her attack back at her. She gasped and soon enough she was attacked by her very own ability. I watched as she screamed in agony while twitching slightly until she ultimately exploded, and her Gem Stone fell onto the ground before I quickly went over and picked it up so it could be sent away._

 _Only one left. Blue. She gripped her hands as she stared at me angerly. "Please stop this, Green. I do not wish to fight you." She added as calmly as she could._

 _"I do not wish to fight any of you. You've forced my hand. Stand aside, Blue."_

 _Tears started swelling in her eyes until they fell down her face. I retracted my blades as I approached her. She then raised her hand and aimed it at me as it then began to charge with energy. A sphere was formed in her hand and continued expanding slightly. Hurt was in her eyes and I do not blame her for it. But then I heard a small groan and noticed White getting up, and in a quarter of a second as she rose Blue fired her energy sphere._

 _I could not believe what had happened... She attacked White._

 _I then turned my attention back to Blue, but she quickly went up to me and connected her mouth to mine. I felt as though time had stopped around me. I... My mind was quickly becoming a blank until she retracted herself and took my hand before placing it on her chest._

 _"Do it." She asked with a small sob._

 _"I... I..." I could barely speak._

 _"I love you. Do it. You're wasting time."_

 _My mind began to bring me back to the situation at hand. I wish I didn't have to do it this way, but I have no further options. I pressed my hand further and pierced her straight through._

 _We looked at each other closely as she slowly began to fade. Her new expression nearly broke me as a smile stretched onto her face. I couldn't return it as she closed her eyes and vanished, leaving her Gem Stone behind._

 _I sent it away and turned my eyes to the very last one._

 _"No more of this." I said out loud as I began moving away from the area._

 _"C...Come back here, Green. You can't...leave me like this." She said with a few grunts._

 _I couldn't look back at her. I kept moving forward as I heard her screams. Good thing I kept a extra ship for myself back at my kingdom._

 _The damage has been made. No turning back._

 **End of Chapter 16.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this. This was not easy to make, believe me.**

 **I've always wondered where the Diamonds came from and gave them a reason as to why they do what they do instead of just creating a perfect empire.**

 **Now I am going away for a while. I am not leaving this story or abandoning it. I will never do that and I will finish this til the end. It's just that I have other projects I want to work on, but I promise not to be gone long.**

 **Take care everyone. This is just getting started.**


End file.
